You live in a State where you have to have them ?

Better check with with the state's smog laws first, if you have to have it smogged gotta have it on there, if they don't see it they won't even run it and you fail.. Some cats are more restrictive than others, I've taken them off and nothing changed, and I've also had to re jet after taking it off, just have to try it and see what happens.

Even if you lived around Cleveland or other areas that require smog tests, that car would be exempt unless things changed the last two years. Ohio has a rolling 25 (give or take a couple) year old limit.
I ended up with the 79 Pinto while living in Akron because the 83 Mustang I was interested in buying would have required the smog test and there was no way it would pass without lots of work I didn't have the money for at the time.

I'm not sure about that year with regard to removing the cats and how it will perform. Newer computer controlled cars tend to run worse without them, at least the newer Fox bodied Mustangs do. You can get them to run better, but if all you do is remove them the cars run worse.

Russ