Okay, so when I go to deal with the Cat, I'll lot at low-flow Cats. As of now, there's no indication that anything is wrong with mine. I'm just mulling through the "easy" ways to get some more power. I do definitely only want to take the head off once. If I've got to do that, I'll probably replace valve seals, guide, get the heads milled - what else? Rings, valve springs?

I will definitely wait until it warms up to do anything with major engine components. I'll be ordering lengths of silicone vacuum hoses as soon as I figure out all the sizes I need. That's a job I can do in the garage.

I want this car for the rest of my life, and I want to do as much of the work myself as possible. It's going to be a third car for us, so it'll stay low mileage and I'll be able to tear it apart without being in a rush.

Thanks for all the tips!