hmmm the pics of that cat looks somewhat different to mine...
I removed mine with no drilling or welding. I just used a big hammer and a tapered stainless steel rod. the going was a little hard but well worth it. bear in mind its pretty loud now though.

shes not cutting out but I just finished the job today and head off on a road trip tomorrow.

will test the results and post them when we return.

(Ive taken pics and a bit of a tutorial on how I did it and posted it in the 'performance mods/ exhausts section).

Can you tell us why you want to remove the cat? Have you read somewhere that it is restrictive? Generally cats are not the point of maximum restriction in a stock exhaust. It's usually the baffles.

+1

Heat related. Lower engine temperature trough rocky gardens.

What does "trough rocky gardens" mean? I don't imagine that you're suggesting that the cats cause more engine heat. They're downstream a couple feet away. OTOH, the cats themselves are certainly a substantial source of heat!

I just drilled through the suckers, they will just blow out the rear.:moon:

Wouldn't removing cats cause problems at MOT time?
Anyway, I've fitted MTC pipes, which don't have cats, & no other mods to engine. No cutting out issues, so must be some other problem with your pipes...
I say: either keep original pipes or buy after-market. if you modify originals you could end up unstuck, particularly regarding warranty & MOT