Fred, don't give up on Q-jets just yet. There are lots of good ones on the Bay of E that are cheap. I bought one for my jeep for $40, threw a $20 kit in it, and it ran perfect. Just get one that hasn't been messed up.
I like using a heater hose for finding exhaust leaks. just hold one end up to your ear and feel around with the other end, looking for the hssst sound they make. If it's bad enough that you can plug the tail pipe and the engine still runs, plug it. That will make finding the leak that much easier. Oh yeah, and if you have enough room under the hood, take off the fan (don't run the engine long enough to overheat it) and use a candle to check for leaks. When you find it, it will blow out the candle.
