It's on! The install went as planned. Mounted the CMC PT-35 so the top of the transom side plate was ~flush with the top of the transom. Basically the top holes were drilled 1" on center from the top edge and the lower ones were exactly 8.5 inches below that.
They lined up with the CMC perfectly. All done, with the motor installed and the cav plate dead parallel to the bottom of the boat, the cav plate is about 3/8" below the floor level. Not perfect, but I have read a lot about these smaller boats needing less height than one even 1-3 feet longer. In one of the the pics below you can see the slotted hole. The bolts are at the top of the hole, meaning that I can loosen these and raise the motor by about 1.5 inches if needed.
I also had some luck with the steering cable. I was pretty much positive that it would have to be replaced, but when I started looking at it I realized it would be very close. I removed a couple of clamps holding it down up the side of the boat and voila, it fit! Saves me a trip to my buddies warehouse and a few bucks.
As I said, there were no hiccups or problems except one; the silicone I used to seal it up doesn't seem to be curing for some reason. The tube was one I had from a previous project but I actually have no idea how old; 5 years, 10? So I'm going to take all the bolts out one by one, clean as much of the goop out and then redo.
Other than that I am pretty happy so far, I still need to mount the electrical (relays, fuse and switch) and I will relocate the battery while I'm at it. The current location is on my side and when I'm out alone or with my 12 year old, I need some ballast on the other side!