Yeah, glad someone enjoys it
If you want to try the mirror, look on Craigslist. I'm guessing students at the Art Center College of Design (ACCD, my school's competitor) in Pasadena would have some extra hunks lying around. It's really easy to work with but the dust clings like styrofoam.
Progress update. I spent about five hours today on the car to get things buttoned up.
-Bought a new manifold/header gasket and Denso O2 sensor at NAPA
-Installed those and the head-to-frame ground wire broke in half
-Bought and installed new ground wire.
Words of newfound wisdom...
-Always torque manifold bolts in a spiral pattern starting from the center- that way, like laying down Saran wrap, it doesn't develop "wrinkles" and leaks.
-The header and downpipe can be removed as a unit if you drop them down under the car. This is helpful because the bolts between the two were rusted beyond recognition. Install the exhaust from the front and work backward, or it may not line up right. I had to go back and unbolt basically the entire rear section to rotate it 20 degrees and line up at the downpipe's two-bolt flange.
-Keep a telescoping magnet handy. A bolt for the grounding wire fell straight into the A/C bracket and there is no good way to get anything in there. I ended up taping a magnetic screwdriver bit to the end of a loooong flathead screwdriver and teasing it out.
-ALWAYS USE ANTI-SEIZE ON YOUR BOLTS. That is probably the single best thing you can do (at least in rusty states) to make your life easier in the future. Permatex anti-seize is good stuff and available widely.
On to photos. Please excuse the mud because rally.
Exhaust by
Tyler Linner, on Flickr
It isn't a huge improvement, but the new header and downpipe replace the cast iron setup with a tubular, mandrel bent 4-2-1 deal which should afford better flow. Probably a few pounds lighter too.
Exhaust by
Tyler Linner, on Flickr