It isn't dead, but most are in N. America. I do not think running the car as you depict in that picture is a good idea. The measurements for temperature which the car uses for fuel injection control and the air pump at start up come from those forward converters. If you block a converter as the picture shows you will alter the temperature gradient measured between the two converters (Left and right) and thus the car will be getting bad info and will not run correctly. If you must restore the car go back to original piping.