Need help with gas tank issue

[gatordoc]

Hi everyone, I am a newbie, although been following the forum for some time. I am quite impressed with all the work that you all have been doing it is certainly helpful to someone like me learning from all the posts. Thanks a bunch.

My question is the following:

I am looking at a 20 SF '76 hull that appears to be in pretty good shape. I have two concerns: 1. How would I know if the gas tank is in good shape. If I had to replace the tank, do I need to remove the entire floor, or just the portion where the tank is at and repair? If anyone has pics of this process i would greatly appreciate it. 2. On another unrelated issue, I think the transom has been replaced in the past. It appears solid with no flexing when I stood on the lower unit of the outboard and jumped up and down on it. When I knocked on the transom most of it felt solid, however in a small area near the mounted depth sounder, the knock has a slight different feel (like there might be some delamination) this is really a small area, approximately 3-6 inches in diameter. Should I be concerned about this problem.

I know this is a used boat and I don't expect perfection, however, I would like to have a fair way to figure out what to pay for it. I don't want to pay for someone's problem at a premium (boat has an almost new engine on it).

Thanks in advance for your responses. I look forward to getting your feedback

Gatordoc