First let me say I am not good at car repair.  If I try to fix something, I
usually end of causing more damage. I took an aptitude test when I was 20,
and looking for a job and the results stated that I should not take any job
that required a mechanical apptitude. Knowing that, I normally take my car
to the local Pontiac Dealer to get work done.

I have an 88 GT that I bought new.  I had it repainted two years ago.  In
December, the "service needed soon" red light came on.  I took it to the
dealer and they hooked the computer upand got an intermitent low fuel
signal.  They wern't sure what was causing the problem.  I did notice that
the exaust noise no longer had the low rumbling sound. It was higher
pitched.  A month later I experienced a loss of power going up a long medium
incline hill. The car started to buck and I ended up putting it in low gear
and flooring the gas pedel until I got up to the top of the hill.  I let off
the gas and waited at a stop light.  When the signal changed I started up
again and everything was okay.  It was below zero that day, so I bought some
Heet to thow in the gas tank, thinking I might have some water in the gas.

Yesterday I drove about twenty-five miles to watch a grand daughter play
indoor softball.  I noticed an intermitent loss of power again, but this
time it was on a flat road.  If I quit giving it gas and coast for a ways it
would get better.  I mentioned the problem to my son, who is the head
mechanic at Crooked Stick Golf Golf Course near Indianapolis (Where John
Daley won his first PGA tournement).  We tossed around some of the usual
things, gas filter and fuel pump

Later we went for Pizza and they followed me.  We ate and went our separate
ways. Shortly after I got home, he called and mentioned that when they were
following me they noticed a foul order.  It got him to thinking that it may
be the catalytic converter and that the symptoms with the smell made that a
possiblity.  With just under 80,000 miles on the car I feel that I should
get that replaced.  He suggested I take it to a reputable muffler shop (Not
a franchise shop) rather than to the dealer because the cost at the dealer
would be pretty high.  I am at the point that I just want my fun to drive
Fiero back.

Has anyone else had their catalytic converter replaced?  If you had someone
else replace it what was your experience? Cost? Longivity of the replacement
converter?  I have herd others say that they get better life on the GM
replacement parts then other aftermarket parts.  Although, even the dealer
is having to get my replacement parts out of the junkyard.

Regards;

Don Bjortomt
Huntington IN