Thanks for the comments everyone!
Boat will primarily be powered with a 1998 Evinrude 8 HP. However, I also have an older Johnson 20 HP that would add that classic touch. If I get some time this winter, I'll tinker with it a bit and get it in trustable order for next year.
Paris, TN is a really nice area. I did my graduate work at LBL, love it up there. I bought this boat in Linden.
I'm shooting for the "classy" look on this old boat. I really fell in love with the curves and lines, especially how the stern tapers back in. All vertical pieces are stained oak, 1/4" ply, should look really good.
The biggest decision for me on this build was the front deck. I originally was thinking of a higher front deck, level with the seats. But my assistant, see above pics, just fell in love with the little seat up front. I'm also not much of a bass fisherman, so I went with a low deck of front. I lost some storage, but I did gain seating for two more. There is always the option to change it later, but I stand up to fish a lot and think I'll prefer the low deck, it did work out well on the last boat.
Finished up painting the exterior this weekend. Flipped the boat over and primed the interior. Next steps are to paint the interior, run electrical, and start putting the decks back in. Basically the fun stuff.