General spluttering and or missing

[buddybutweiser]

Hi, please help as i know nothing about cars so fingers crossed this may be common knowledge to you guys. Here goes.....
Tonight i have just bought a 2l ulysse el 1998 and drove it home 100 miles.
The car had only done 38 miles since october so when i started it and drove away i just thought it was spluttering because of that.
100 miles later it got me home but all the way (mainly motorway) the car made a spluttering noise every time i put my foot on the pedal and did not accelerate very quickly.
No lights are lit on the dash and the guy i got it from said he had it serviced in september so i would assume the plugs were changed.
Please help, i hope i have not been ripped off with a knackered engine.
Thanks in advance

 

[buddybutweiser]

Today changed the spark plugs and the ht leads but to no avail.
Then i remembered i have green flag assistance with my bank so i called them out.
The mechanic did a diagnosis on it and it came up with air intake fault.
He said it may be the air intake gasket.
Is this a simple job or is it best left for a mechanic? If so can somebody give me a ball park figure of the cost please