I may have lucked out!

The exhaust was sounding worse than I thought. I usually drive around with the AC on, as hot as it has been. Without the AC and radio you could really hear it. I went to a Muffler Man franchise because they treated me right in the past. He pulled it right up, pronounced the header pipe cracked and welded it on the spot for fifty-bucks. I thought it was a little steep, but he spent a good half-hour on it, and has done things in the past for me and never accepted money.

He said he thought the weld would hold indefinately. The rest of the exhaust system looked a little shaky, but he told me to change the hanger on the forward muffler and wing it. He said the muffler system is excellent quality and I could still get a couple of years out of it.

The only thing I didn't buy was what he told me about the original header pipe and the OEM replacement. He said the one on the car was stainless. He said the replacement from the dealer would not be, at only $300 (?). A stainless steel replacement, he insisted, would cost much more. I told him I did not understand how they would manufacture the car with one type, and offer the replacement with another. I didn't question him any further. What do you guys think?

He did a nice job welding it. I bet it holds a long time.

Anyway, I am going to wait and see.