thanks for the confirmation, uncljohn....

i was worried that i was wrong about the cat and would spend money for nothing. i'm not a welder...so i'm off to the muffler shop asap. tried removing the bolts that hold it in place....ain't gonna happen. i'd have an easier time removing the engine. yea, its pretty embarrassing. especially when sitting at a light and the damn thing is rattling and drawing so much attention. i had no idea about the overheating issue. i'll let you know what the muffler place charges.

cadman

Best of luck at the muffler shop. I have only lived in 2 different places most of my life. The first half in upstate NY the salt capital of winter road maintenance and the SW where the question generally is "Whats Snow" The opposite extreme. One end the salt eats everything that is not plastic or rubber and the other end the UV and Heat eats everything that is not metal.
While neither is much good if I have to deal with an extreme I would rather deal with the plastic and rubber gone. I have lived so long where a muffler shop bends all muffler pipe to fit and mufflers and catalytic converters last the life of the car that I have almost forgotten what it is like to go into a Midas Muffler shop and see racks of exhaust systems hanging from hooks and watch the mechanic take the Red Hammer and blow bolts out in order to either weld or re-use the holes for new bolts. While pretty much having to replace something almost yearly.
I own a couple of AMC cars, out of production since 1988 and have owned 2 in the last 10 years that still had the OEM exhaust system almost intact on the car. So I hope you do not get beat to death on the cost.
At least one benefit of leaving in the heat is exhaust system work is rare and affordable.

I have an L series but I had this lagit same problem. It was my heat shield rustin' off. Being a New Englander rust is commen. So ya I'd check that too.