Dan,
Go with Chas' advice and drive it. As you said, the exhaust leak can wait until winter. Actually, I was pretty impressed that I could hear the exhaust leak, thought that my hearing was worse than it is
There is nothing like the feel of an ERA. Hell, just a quick sprint in the car will probably cure you of that respiratory crud; at 100 mph the wind will create enough suction to draw the crud right out of your lungs!
