These old kits are great for kitbashing - the Hawaiian Pilot is shown by Revell as being 1:380 which means that in addition to the 1:384 fittings from H-R Products, you could also use some of the 1:350 aftermarket parts that are available now.
The USN seems to have done just about everything with the 492" C3 hull imaginable from escort carriers to AP transports and even seaplane tenders. I'm working to convert a Hawaiian Pilot to AV8 - USS Tangier, a ship with a great fighting record from Peral Hardbor through the end of the war - and the conversion doesn't seem too bad (see the pic below), the biggest challenge looks like the big crane on the stern: