Ok...I went for the cheap and easy solution. I bought a catalytic converter from a site that sells all catalytic converters. It was significantly cheaper, and, as expected, lower quality than what I would have gotten had I gone to a 'real' parts place. I took this monstrosity to a shop and fortunately, they had the skills to make it fit properly (or at least act like it).
Had I tried to do this myself, I would have probably been SOL...or made the whole situation worse.
The moral of this post is pretty much 'you don't get what you don't pay for'....or something like that.
:)
(Good news is that the car should be back in my posession in no time)
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Yes, my new car is a 1983.