Some advice; classic 20 SF?

[crsavage1]

I am desperately close to buying a classic 20' SeaCraft. I have a few questions and please forgive me as I am new to this and would like some guidance before doing anything rash.

I am looking at a couple of 20' SF's (both have been listed on the site for sale) and they are in difference stages. One is basically a hull that has had the transom and a lot of the glass re-done. The other is showing it's age but looks all original. So how crazy is this all?

My needs and ideas for the boat are to basically restore it for my small family to cruise the lake / fish rockfish / pull tubes / enjoy the water. My idea is to update it, re-power it, refinish it, T-Top etc. Will spend most of it's time trailered and the size seems to be something easy enough for us to work with since it will spend 99% of it's time in freshwater between Ohio and Alabama.

I have read most, if not all, of the sticky posts for things like brackets etc. My original thought was to, when ready, add an armstrong bracket for a little more room in the back. I have built a new console I modeled out of foam and glassed it (I do things backwards, I wanted to understand how the process works) and figured it would give us a little more working space and perhaps some better seating. The bracket discussion gave some fair guidance about putting a bracket on a 20'. I assume some folks are running updated power on the 20's with and without brackets? Are the newer 4 strokes too heavy for a 20' or did I misunderstand?

So let me get back to my questions instead of being so scattered....
1. Is what I am thinking reasonable? I have looked at new boats, late year used boats and classics. The SeaCraft of the 60's and 70's are just striking and I like the idea of doing some/all of the work myself.

2. The pricing for these boats vary wildly obviously. What is reasonable for the range I am looking at? A hull with no power but transom/glass work done vs. an all original running boat? Obviously condition is everything but looking for ideas and how to know what is reasonable and what is "a good deal". Any general guidance would be appreciated.

3. Am I nuts? Most everyone I have talked to (including my wife ) think maybe I have gone nuts. Is this simply over my head and will turn into one of those things I laugh about in 20 years when I had to pay someone to drag a boat away. The honesty may hurt, but I would rather have my bubble burst than to end up in real trouble.

4. Most advice says to choose the size of boat you want, and then add a few feet. I like the idea of a 20' due to it being able to live in my garage if it absolutely had to. I have a really large garage and with a bracket it would still fit in but is that flawed thinking?

If anyone is or has any guidance on the specific deals I am trying to understand and work, feel free to PM me and I will share the specifics of the deals. I could really use some experienced advice on whether these are sound deals or things to walk away with. Never fall in love with a boat your about to buy....I keep repeating this to myself.

Finally, my sincere apologies for this length and rambling. I am new to this and figured maybe it was better to just get everything out rather than the back and forth questions. Any input is welcomed and I am happy to fill in any blanks that I may have missed.

Thanks all....