Brackets under passenger

[Zippy]

Does anyone know what the purpose of these brackets under the passenger side of the car are for? I'm thinking maybe muffler but I have never seen one there.

[Curly]

I've got them on SPYDUH too, but they're on the driver's side
SPYDUH is a '76 CS1 and I always presumed it was for the Californian catalytic converter.

[Zippy]

Ithought it might be something like that too, but have never seen a catalytic converter there. My catalytic converter is closer to the drive shaft. I think this picture is from a car with the smog pump so I assumed it had the catalytic converter in the same place as mine. The only reason I noticed it was my wife was complaining about the big hump in the floor right in front of the passenger seat. (Disclaimer, this vehicle is manufactured for use in the United States of America and is not suject to right hand drive situations imposed on other continents. Please refer to your owners manual for all applications in your respective country.)

[kmead]

Yes it is for the catalytic converter.

[Dspider]

It's for the heat shield.

[Zippy]

Does anyone have a picture of the catalytic converter and or heat shield installed in this position?

[2ndwind]

Zippy,
This is from my 1982 AT, taken from the rear. Cat is still installed. The heat shield runs along the bottom of the majority of the passenger compartment. It is even curved in the back to accommodate the exhaust pipe going over the axle more toward the center line.

[Zippy]

Thanks for the picture. That explains a lot. It looks like the heat shield is more than just a piece of sheet metal. Does it have some sort of insulating material as well? I'm curious how many cars have this arrangement and how many don't. I am wondering now if my Cat is actually functioning or if it has been busted out. Is there any way to tell without taking it out of the car? Like how hot does it get compared to the pipe. I could probably get an infrared tester to check it out.

Does anyone know what year the brackets were added. My car is a 78 and the brackets are there. I have a cat but I don't have a smog pump. Is it possible they built all the bodies with the brackets and if the car wasn't going to California they didn't put in the cat and maybe my car had the cat added by mistake? My car was rebuilt with parts from a later model. I have the newer style door handles and the big bump hood. I'm wondering if the PO took the exhaust manifold and down pipes from the 78 and put in the cat and Ansa exhaust from the later car but put them in the car where they would have been on the 78.

[kilrwail]

My car is a '78 and has the brackets and floor hump - but never had a cat. It does have an air pump though.