jpliddy, your car had a cat? Interesting.

yes my car had a Catalyst Ngoma garage said it was clogging up exhaust back in 2008 when i had them fit a full stainless exhaust from manifold . no problems so far i got £45 for scrap . so think i paid£350 for new exhaust minus the catalyst

I wonder if it was a diesel oxidation catalyst. I believe the early '90s "ecodiesel" VW Jettas had those here, and of course nowadays they are on all diesels. Seems like around this era may have been when they first began trying to use them.