Engine Stalling

[GAVO]

I have a 1988 Toyota Starlet XL. Just before Christmas '03 it was having problems, where it would stall on starup and splutter. There wasn't really any noises just loss of power and I could feel the power loss on the accelerator. It got worse with time.

I had a basic service done. Plugs, air filter and oil filter and change of oil. I also had the revs hired. And because of the description of my problem I was advised to change the plug leads. I did. The problem was much improved but not totally gone. Now, in february, it's beginning to return. And it's getting slightly worse by the week.

Any ideas?

Some people are suggesting the timing belt needs changing(a mechanic says he heard this in the car), others say it could be a dirty carburetor? How do I clean that? Others say it's just a matter of cleaning the Distributor cap and making sure it's on correctly. Others say it's the igniter that needs replacing, or to change the valve seals?

Is it really worth spending this money on a 16 year old car? Or would it be relatively cheap to have the problem(s) fixed?

I have just had new break pads and front tyres changed at a cost of 170euro.

Apparantly, my CV joint ig bad too. There does appear to be a knocking sound in front of my steering wheel when I'm turning it. How serious a problem is this and is it expensive to fix?

A lot of info there, I know, but I need my car! HELP!!