If you run with the speaker between the GBs you won't be able to use a smoker, and I believe you liked the effect on mine so do you really want to give that up? I just use a stock Taigen smoker from Imex in Florida and they're only ten bucks a pop. For a long time I would automatically have Erik add two smoke units and two airsoft units (also ten bucks) to every order I placed. I found out early that smokers and airsoft units are prone to failure (even though they've gotten more dependable as time goes by) but they're cheap and easy to swap out so I guess I've just gotten used to it.
I understand about the weight in the front but I don't think aluminum is the best material for that, being light weight to start with. I just use simple lead sinkers from the fishing tackle box. I hold them in with Zap Goo and they come in all different shapes and sizes. Usually the split shot, about a quarter inch in diameter, work very well. You can tuck them into nooks and crannies so you don't waste space, and I just weigh out a handful on my postal scale to get a starting point.
You might want to look into a better control system. The hobby grade boards, like the IBU and the TK22 like the one in mine are a popular choice, and there's also the Asp and the Elmod. The TK22 is by far the most economical at about $100 including shipping from RC Tanks of OKC. That's Nathan's outfit and he's a good guy and an avid RC tanker himself. It does have it's drawbacks, though, as you need a special TV remote and an IR programming device to set it up, but once you have those things they work for any subsequent Clark products you buy. When I first started out I was buying HL tanks with the old 27 MHz set-ups and the control was horrible, so I found a cheap way to get better control was to install a Taigen MFU. Now they're up to the V3 control board (also called an MFU, for Multi-Function Unit) and I think it's a very good, low cost option for airsoft tanks. It's around $60 and works with any hobby grade transmitter, like my favorite tank TX, the FlySky i6. I have some videos of this set-up if you'd like to see them. The new V3 MFUs have proportional turret rotation speeds, very good sounds (although they haven't come out with a Bulldog sound module yet) and a feature to disable that horribly fake track recoil when you fire the main gun.
Where are you located? I think it's great to see guys from other areas of RC coming over to tanks so I try to do whatever I can to help them out. If you need parts you're welcome to raid my spares box for whatever I can provide, and I'll try to help out with whatever else you need. That don't mean we'll be takin' warm showers together or anything like that, but I do try to be as accommodating as possible with guys like you, just to make sure your experience is a good one and you stay in the hobby. The more you spend, the better chance they'll finally come out with my favorite TD, the Hellcat! So it's not like I don't have ulterior motives, but in this case they're to the benefit of new RC Tankers. So just shout if you need anything, and I'm looking forward to photos once you have enough posts (I always thought that was a dumb rule, but I don't run things around here. In fact, the only thing I run around here is my mouth.
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You might also want to take a look at this thread.
https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/foru...p?f=22&t=26093
Louis has just gone whole hog on this puppy and he's replaced the too wide stock tracks with a pair of the proper width, narrowed the sprockets and idlers, corrected all the errors in the tank that HL let slide, and really gone crazy with detail. This is one of the finest Bulldogs I've ever seen, and Louis never ceases to amaze me with his skill and attention to detail.