loss of power, engine is louder, has less power than before Options

[celicamike]

Hey guys, I did a search but didn't find anything useful. I've noticed that my '94 GT has been kind of sluggish recently. It takes forever to accelerate, particularly when going uphill, and it kind of sputters/hesitates when I wind it over 3500 RPM. I've also observed that the engine becomes much louder when I put it under a load, almost like a exhaust leak. Anyway, the car idles fine and there is nothing unusual when cruising once I get up to speed. Have any of you experienced this or have any idea what the problem is? I don't have any apparent vacuum leaks, and the compression was great. The car is pretty old though, with 213,000 miles. I'm thinking that I might need new plug wires and distributor cap and rotor, since the ones I have now are presumably the originals. What do you guys think, could this be the answer to my problem? I appreciate your help. Thanks.

[celicamike]

Thanks guys, I'll look in to all of the above. I've already replaced the spark plugs and fuel filter, but new wires and distributor cap/rotor wouldn't hurt. I noticed my car had an exhaust leak last year when I saw some smoke from under the heat shield during a seafoam treatment, it was never this loud though, and I didn't realize it could cause a power loss.