I have a 77 and it is my understanding that the floor is already "higher" on the boats built in late 70's. I do not know what year the change was made or how much higher the deck is in the later years but I do believe it was raised at some point. Mine is not complete so I really don't have first hand knowledge of how it drains yet. My boat is lighter than original so I expect it to float a little higher; I am not too worried about raising my deck.
140 Zuke is a good light-weight power choice at just over 400#. You still shift your center of gravity back a little with the bracket though; you may want to consider a bracket with more flotation than the Armstrong. I had one on a Hydrasports and, unless they build yours with a larger flotation chamber than mine, I can't imagine that it will buoy up the motor weight much at all. Hermco fiberglass brackets are net positive buoyancy when installed - others here speak very highly of them.
Good luck! Your deck looks very clean - hope to see more pics soon.
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