Well there ya go, I will guess the price dictates which direction you are going. As for the hardwood not allowing the big transom clamps to hold, once you have the wood in place in the boat, mount the motor(get your mind outa the gutter) and mark where the clamps meet the wood, draw circles around the clamp feet, remove the motor and with either an appropriate sized Forstner bit or if you have a good spade bore, make two 1/8th inch deep depressions in the wood, the clamps won't slide or let the motor move. As for all the votes for marine ply, I'm sure some wouldn't know what it was if a handfull of splinters zapped them in the arse.