I agree OEM is probably the quietest choice.
Part of my issue is I don't know what I have currently, or what OEM was.
The PO has changed it. From the weld job and current sound, I can tell it probably isn't factory have now.
If I go to a muffler shop and tell them I want to restore it to OEM, will they know what that means & have the parts to do it?
Yes, they should be able to do this for you. Assuming your exhaust manifold is stock, in good shape, and you keep that, then for a 2001, you need these other pieces. Here are examples of the pieces you need:
1) Front midpipe with 2 precats - ex. Walker 53461
2) Rear converter - ex. Walker 16085
3) Muffler and tailpipe of your choosing - whatever OEM replacements you choose.
You can go with whatever brand of “direct replacement” for each piece, they simply are designed to match the OEM fitment. Muffler shops typically carry a few brands, so you can likely choose what you like by quality, cost etc. You might have some pieces on now that can still be used, but if it is all welded up and you want OEM connections, then perhaps not.
On my 05, which is similar but uses different parts than the 01, I went Flowmaster for pieces #1 and #2 and Banks catback for #3. If I had an 2001, I’d check out Walker. The Magnaflow cats will be expensive and I’ve heard someone say to avoid Bosal, but that was second hand info, so who knows. There are a couple other brands as well, but I’m not familiar.