My mate has a 1996 V6 Vitara which recently developed a hole in the exhaust between the cat and the engine (reportedly where the extractors go from 2-1). His lame dealership warranty doesn't cover this as it's classed as wear and tear

Anyway, I've searched but found nothing for the V6 model. Are there any people out there who have experience with aftermarket exhausts for the V6 2.0l Vitara? He's thinking of getting extractors done to high flow cat and then catback. Probably a 2.5 inch system. However, being on a limited budget, I'm wondering whether or not it's going to be worth it.
The place he got a quote from wants $450 for the repair, $200 for the high flow cat and $200 for the catback system. That seems damn steep (namely the repair) where I reckon he could get a full system for that price or less.
Any assistance is appreciated. I told him to get a few more quotes as well.