http://mbldr.sourceforge.net/


http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=11774




===== stage1 bootloaders that may not be difficult to modify ====

---- Grub4DOS ----
    
    grldr.mbr already has some config  bytes....   and it looks pretty handy in general

    http://svn.gna.org/viewcvs/grub4dos/trunk/stage1/stage1.S?view=markup




---- GRUB2 ----

    Why is booting from the VBR so discouraged?  That isn't clear at all:
            https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/445416