Well, thanks everyone for all of the very helpful input. I have to say, assuming I can find a reasonably priced a-cat, that option really does sound pretty appealing. My biggest concern, though, based on what I have been reading - while I can understand the appeal of the "fix it yourself" and "tinkerer" crowd, that has never been my nature or inclination, and I have zero skills in that regard (though I am somewhat reluctant to admit it on a forum like this, of all places, I'm the kind of guy who has never changed a flat tire, doesn't know how to do a simple oil change, and the phrases "fix it yourself" and "get some plywood and epoxy and spend a day working", though I can understand the attraction to others, strikes more than a bit of fear in my heart - not gonna happen!). Given that, would the advice concerning an old a-cat still apply?