RE: 'Wild Thing' Construction Pictures
You did make a good choice with the CMB TT pipe. One of the guys that I know had one on his CMB Greenhead powered Wild Thing and that boat is so quiet that you can hear the water splashing off the hull!
John reminds me of another boater that I've met, good intentions but comes off as a grump sometimes. He's only helping you trying to make sure that you do it right the first time.
Offsetting the pipe to where it should be makes it easier to start as it won't be in the way of the starter belt. My buddy modified his radio box so that it is offset to the right as far as the lid goes and on the left, put in an angled piece of ply to get his pipe lower in the hull. There is still room under it for a battery pack or reciever.