If it were me starting with what you have. Here is what I would do:
1. Core the sides (it will be bullet proof)
2. Put the consel were it was intended by the factory or maybe a just a hair forward. Remember every inch you move the consel forward equal's more pounding on your feet.
3. Move the fuel tank forward so that the front of it is even with the front of the consel.
4. batteries in the consel
5. Build your new deck and bond it to the top of the stringers. Since your stringers have already been raised 2 inches there should be no need to raise it any more. I'm not sure about your year boat but the boats built in the 70's were self bailing at the original height.
6. build the livewell above deck just behind the leaning post.
Again I'm not sure about the 80's boats but the cockpit sole on the 70's was bonded to the top's of the stringers and it should have been no dead air between the stringers and the bottom of the sole. But then again that may vary depending on if a boat was built on a Monday of a Friday
On my 75 it was a tight bond:
PS do away with the flat butt and put a nice arched transom on that boat if you are going to go with a bracket
strick