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Fuel problems usually don't cause a "tinny" sound. Here is a link to testing the fuel pump. It covers about everything your mechanic will need to know about fuel pump performance. Fuel Pressure Testing If the battery and alternator are good enough to start the engine, they won't cause a performance problem once it is running. With the relatively low mileage of your car, the cat isn't likely to be the problem. Poor performance (stumbling) when the engine is under a load is more likely to be a problem with the ignition system. Bad spark plugs/wires or the Ignition control module (ICM) most often the cause.

It's hard to say what the ticking might be without hearing it. I doubt it is a timing chain at only 107k on it. I would take the belt off and see if the ticking noise goes away. That will tell you if it's something external to the engine, alternator, belt, pulley, etc. causing the tick.

I don't know how in depth the replacement is intended to be, but they did move some components around under the hood, primarily the location of the A/C components, with the accumulator location being the most obvious. As far as I know, the sheet metal, mounts and accessory locations won't interfere with keeping the 1991 configuration. The suspension is a bit different, primarily the sway bar mounting, on the 88-89 vs the 90-91. I do not know the details of the 91 wiring harness under the hood but the 90 is definitely different than the 88-89. Essentially the functions are the same, but the routing and locations may be somewhat different.