Exhuast fell off, time for a new one; brands?

[blind34_1]

Ah yes its yet another post asking peoples opinions on brands.

The other day I start my car and I get the sound of not having a peice of piping where it should be. It sounds kinda cool. When I go to my friends house I don't even have to ring the doorbell, they know when I'm there!

Anyway, money is at a minimum right now, and I obviously will not get some stupid meineke exhuast. I'm looking at buying my peices individually, then having them put together all at once. I'm not replacing the stock header because I'm more than likely doing an engine swap here in the spring (maybe sooner, depends on wehen the engine finally kicks). Questions are:

1. I'm looking to use 2.5" or 2.75" piping all the way. Will that size bolt into the stock manifold?

2. The heat shield under my car. Will it hurt anything if I just take it out? any one notice an extreme change in heat?

3. I'm wanting good rust protection. besides getting stainless steel, what are other exhuast rust protection methods? I was thinking getting a few cans of undercoat.

4. Do companies allow you to just buy their muffler, and not a full system? I;'ve been looking and they want to sell me a whole bunch of pipe along with it. I can get pipe locally.

5. How much welding is involved here?

6. What are the best brands for my car (90civicsihb)? I'm already looking seriously at tanabe, comptech, tenzo. Any others I should consider?

7. Where to buy from? I'm interested only in sites where you have dealt with them and gotten good results.

8. Anything else I should consider when doing a semi-DIY exhuast job?

Thanks