Catalytic converter issue

Hey so I bought a 1998 2.7l Tacoma from someone who had removed the muffler. Last night I was driving for a while and after I got home I looked inside the tailpipe. It’s so short I can see directly into the cat and I noticed that the honeycomb was glowing red. The outside of the converter wasn’t glowing at all, and I checked the temperature with a heat gun and it was within normal range. Is this normal? Or is there some sort of issue there. After pulling the sparks last week I noticed the trucks running a little lean. I assumed it was from the cold air intake the guy put on it (currently looking for OEM intake) but now I’m wondering if that may be my issue. The truck as stalled out on me twice now at a red light for no apparent reason, turned right back on after like nothing had happened. I’m planning on changing fuel filter, testing the MAF sensor, and switching to OEM intake to hopefully fix the issue. Should I be worried about the cat glowing as well? Thanks for any insight.

 

The average temperature for a catalytic converter is 500 to 800, and can go up to 1200 loaded.
For it to glow red would mean unburnt fuel (running too rich).
I think you are on the right track with the fuel filter, MAF, and going back to OEM intake.
I wouldn't stress about the cat.