A muffler shop called you for help? I got a phone call from a local Tuffy Muffler shop in Flint yesterday. He was given my name from a mutual acquaintance. It seems the shop has a '70 Bonneville in the shop with a cracked driver side exhaust manifold. So he was looking for sources for one. EBay was no help. He had not looked on Craigslist yet. I gave him a list of Pontiac and muscle car bone yards plus Ram Air Restoration Enterprises, who make correct reproductions of the Ram Air/HO manifolds. 

He thanked me for my help and he said I gave him enough to get started making phone calls. I guess the owner does not want to spend much money on this. Let's hope I get to hear how this ends up.

Well that's interesting to hear. Guess you're the man then  

Believe me, I was not expecting it. It was a total surprise.

Why does he not just braze the damn thing like a normal person would?

When was the last time you trusted a muffler shop tech to properly braze anything? At least this shop manager was smart enough to know it should be replaced and not to weld on cast iron.

I don't trust anyone .. you know that. But brazing (not welding) a manifold ... if an exhaust shop isn't up to that ... WTF.  Hell, my local scrap yard can do that. And for a manifold, 9 time outta 10 a good  braze will last forever. Literally the only stress on it is thermal.

That's funny. Nice of you to help.