New muffler after 22 years

Yes...187000km I had kept the original for some time with a few leaks, then strapped with a 8" stove pipe around it for about 2 years, but finally agreed I could afford a new muffler....:icon16:
The funny thing is that the original was with a 2" 1/4 inlet pipe (outside) ..all soldered of course...but all the replacements I have found were made for 2" 1/2 inlet pipe. I cut the original pipe..very robust..just flush in front of the original muffler then I used an adapter pipe 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 over the original pipe (that came after the catalytic...without unbolting the original coupler) to connect to the new muffler,...reinserted the tail pipe (with resonator, also cut flush from the original muffler) and voila....sudden silence.....
My prediction: the replacement muffler will not go for 187000km.

well, that explains a few things. I had to have the muffler changed about 8 years ago. It fell off the day after I got it back from the repair shop after being t-boned, sheer co-incidence the insurance company said.
This explains why the muffler shop always used a reducer pipe on the front, always wondered why. I get close to 3 years out of the muffler( guaranteed for life so not to expensive now) but that pesky reduced pipe doesn,t seem to last as long. Everything before and after muffler still factory

My original muffler is now in need of replacement too. I have a 1993 TS. Muffler shops are a scam, if the original muffler that went on there can last for 22 years. I might try wrapping it for a couple of years too.

I've got 385,000 on my 96 Trans Sport and the exhaust is original. Yes I have stainless screw clamps around it and it's starting to get noisy but it's still hanging in there. The original windshield cracked last winter but I found a shop with one still in stock. The turn signal stalk broke off recently. Now my cruise control is hanging by the wires. Darned plastic! Any ideas on repairing that?