To De-Smog or not to De-Smog...

What was your intention with the fabrication of the exhaust manifold? With the stubbed-in pipes, you've made the exhaust less free-flowing.

You're right, but he didn't fab it, he bought it off "Mister Twister", who until very recently has been trying to substitute marketeering, ignorance, and occasionally his shrill wife/girlfriend for his very apparent lack of knowledge and skill -- see threads here and here and (especially) here.