Exhaust blues, need advice----

There is no question that it gets tight in the area you speak of for exhaust. Yes a good shop can moan and groan and build the head pipes, but it is a pain, with a majority of them coming out like a Frankenstein project. You are doing the right thing by buying a nice set of head pipes.

Also check with Accurate Exh. They have head pipes that might be more economical.