Hyundai Elantra Catalytic Converter, Can I Still Drive?

I am a photographer and the engine of my car just died from a faulty timing belt. I have an offer for a trade on a 97 Elantra for 200.00 and a engagement shoot (total of 500.00) The car has a new timing belt (now always a question I ask first!) new CV joints etc, However, the Catalytic converter is going out
out and it needs new tires. I live 165 miles from the car, and it is located in a VERY tiny community in the Rockies, I would prefer to get the car home and have the converter replaced by MY mechanic
I understand that the car will lose some engine power due to combustion issues, (my state has no emissions testing) My real question is, Can I drive a car with issues like this? Will it warp the engine, or over heat causing engine failure or anything of a sort? it’s a one way 165 mile trip with maybe 50 miles of mountains and foothills then it’s flat plains from there, and if I take the route that’s 15 miles longer it’s about 30 miles of hills and mountains and the rest is plains. Can a car handle this? This is a steal of a car, less then a hundred k miles, sound transmission and other then the converter, engine. I want it to remain a steal of a deal!