Hi: I went through the same questions you did about 2 years ago on this site. I have found everything I have ordered here to be MB approved/OE/OEM quality manufacturers. Great service and quality. The mufflers listed in Fastlane like ANSA are names I recognize as replacement parts on mufflers from when I looked for mine. My local MB dealer told me to save my money and go to a particular QUALITY local muffler shop - not a Midas, rather than buying an MB muffler like the ones from the dealership and Fastlane (I wasn't going to be able to install it myself, otherwise this site would have been my least expensive choice
). My MB tech referred me to the same muffler shop, so that is what I did.
If it is performance you want, do a search on exhausts. A number of people have substituted a y pipe for the center muffler, some have investigated performance cats, others have debated the different types of performance rear mufflers and tips. The impression I got was that unless big bucks were ALSO being spent on the intake side of the engine, and maybe the cam as well, not a lot of difference (5-10hp) would be obtained by the expensive mufflers and exhaust systems.
For durability (stainless), a lot of people mentioned Timevalve - they also make a stainless Y pipe for these cars. This is if you don't want to mess with exhaust for another 15 years, and are planning on keeping the car that long. It doesn't necessarily mean they are high performance. Their web site is
http://www.timevalve.com/
Hope this helps!
BTW, I am on the mailing list for Performance catalogs - they carry ANSA mufflers as well, just like this site. Their prices on parts are usually higher for the same part by the same supplier, in my experience. Those pictures cost money. Their sister catalog, Precision, has even prettier pictures, and even higher prices.
