1994 ZX150 w/ Merc XR6 150 - add a jackplate?

[glfgd82]

Hey guys, been thinking a ton about what, if anything I would like to do to the boat, overall this year I've been happy with it, I'm a big guy and it jumps on plane and gets me where I'm going very nice considering my weight. It fishes perfect for me, tad small being a dual console but I can live with it for now (got it for a STEAL of a price so I'm in the "shut up and enjoy" mode). The person who had the boat before me had a talon on the back, when he got his new boat he took the talon but left the mount, I'm not in the market with enough money saved up for a talon, and honestly I can live without it in the end but I was thinking of pulling the motor to pull the mount as it's getting on my nerves now and I have time coming up over the winter.

This got me thinking about adding a jackplate to the boat since I'd be taking the talon off anyways, might as well right? Hydro Dynamics has the ZX model jackplates made for this series and they are reasonable at just over $400, then I realized I'd need longer steering cables and now the wheels are turning. I know everyone will tell me to put hydrolic steering on the boat but I cannot see spending that kind of money on this older boat especially when I didn't pay much at all for it. I'd want to go with a no feedback system which means I now need to figure out what length I'd need if I decided to go with the jackplate.

Questions:

Am I even sane for thinking of putting a jackplate on this boat at this point? The boat is solid but I know adding a jackplate can show the true being of a boat, honestly is it crazy with such an old boat?

If I go with the jackplate, they offer 12 and 14" versions, more is betterer? or no?

If I go with this, how much longer will the steering cables need to be to account for the setback?

What should I expect from adding this to the boat? Right now with my big butt I'm seeing 53/54 solo with tourney load and livewells filled. With two people it drops to 52ish. Do you gain any handling? I know the new steering will help but wasn't sure about handling with the change in pad ride.

[Oliver65]

My cousin has a 10in plate on this exact boat works fine and runs like the wind.