Exhaust and Spica Upgrade?

["Nils Huehnergarth" <nils@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gentle Digesters:

First off, many thanks to those of you who kindly responded to my request
for help with a stripped Spica stud. Nothing worked, so I wound up carefully
grinding the nut down to a thin sliver and prying it off the stud. Indeed
the stud is stripped but a new locknut seems to have enough grip (together
with the two remaining stud nuts) to hold the Spica filter cover in place.
I've learned that the stud is prone to breaking, and replacing it can be a
delicate matter.

Should this be my excuse to send the Spica off to Wes Ingram for an
overhaul? The car has 63,000 miles, starts easily and appears to run fine,
but maybe Wes' magic could give me a little more "go"? Also, a recent oil
change made me suspect I was getting some fuel in the oil, but how can one
be sure?

Second, I'm in the process of trying to learn more about aftermarket exhaust
systems. I have searched the archives and got some info, but I don't have
enough information to make a decision about what kind of system to get. Is
the common complaint about Ansa systems rusting due to driving in wet
conditions, or do they rust from the inside out from condensation? Are
Stebros more difficult to install than Ansa? Is there a difference between
"free flow" and the stock 3-piece exhaust system? Would either system offer
noticeable performance improvement? With its "historic" plates, my car is
not required to pass NY smog tests...can I eliminate the catalytic converter
to gain power ('green' issues aside). Any other things to consider?

Thanks.

Nils Huehnergarth
74 GTV 2000 Veloce










Nils Huehnergarth
Static & Motion
212.274.0333

Producers of Throughlines, a new interactive
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