Downpipes to 'resonator' nuts?

[Erik the Awful]

I bought a really nice torch setup from a friend about 20 years ago, and haven't used it yet. Propane torches are so handy and effective.

As far as the female pipe, I'd weld it. My Caddy exhaust that I gave away a few weeks back had originally been clamped together. It was really loud, rattled, and didn't fit good. I took it to a different muffler shop and they tweaked the bends and fully welded it. Immediately it was considerably quieter.

I'm a fan of fully welding, and if you foresee the need to separate it in the future, put in a flange.

 

[Pinger]

Finally....the new exhaust is on. Here's the reason for the delay.

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It wasn't the stud I most feared but the lowest (middle) one that at least was accessible in situ (without having to remove downpipes) but really didn't want to shift. Drilling was the only remaining option after trying everything I could think of to press it out - and even then it put up a fight.

Here's the nastiness that was removed.

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[Pinger]

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Only a very brief drive with the new system on but it seems to be keener from very low rpm and I'm hoping I'll get my missing 1 mpg back!
The rear section (pipes no mufflers) was so bad that I removed it (cut just ahead of the axle) in case it fell off on the road (while I still had to drive and before removing the front part) and it threw the (LPG/propane) calibration - O2 sensor feedback to my AFR gauge on the dash hung up at maximum richness. I feared a bad upstream O2 sensor but the new system has sorted that - thankfully.
And, there was no connector for the O2 sensor that had to be carried over. They've (all four I think) been replaced at some time and sourced locally and spliced into the loom without detachable connectors.