I have a little question for u, @Yeedatoy , Do u flashed disable verity/encrypt for flash drivers through TWRP? Or is not needed?
Let me check on the de bloating, it'll take me a moment to do a comparison. I can tell you this, my phone came stock with the Google dialer and I deleted and use lineage dialer 19 with built-in call recording. Deleted Google messages and use AOSP messaging... Although I've switch to Pulse for a while because I can get my messages on my other phones with pulse.
I deleted Gmail and use lineage OS email, I have Naptime installed which comes with a magisk module that allows you to remove Google play services from the battery optimization list.
I have Warden installed and I used it to turn off all unnecessary services receivers and trackers, and I shut down every aspect of the Google app except for the ones that allow me to use Google Assistant because I need to be able to control my Google home and my Chromecast. I deleted Android system webview and I use Bromite for my Webview and my browser. I deleted Google calendar and use ETAR instead. I removed the Google clock and the LG clock and use the clock from Omnirom instead. Google contacts has replaced with Lineage contacts..... Basically I've removed as much Google stuff as I'm comfortable with and replaced it with open source lightweight alternatives, and any apps that are heavy or a large in size that I don't use often we're only use at certain times of the day like Netflix and Amazon Prime, I keep Frozen with Ice Box App Freezer.
I have 160 system apps total, but that includes some apps that I systemized myself. I just use my file manager and directly delete the apps from the system app folder in the priv app folder. I think your main problem as far as your backups go, is that you don't have a TWRP that gives you full access to your file system. As far as I know, the only TWRP for our phones that allows full access and is persistent, would require you to cross flash to ULM. I may be wrong about that so somebody correct me if I am.
Regarding my benchmark temperatures, I use a $4 slimcase but I got from Amazon. My benchmarks were taken in 82 degree fahrenheit temperatures...... In my condo where my AC has been broken for a year and my landlord is too much of an asshole to get it fixed, lol.