Talk about stupid. The problem was that a spark plug had popped out. Same mechanic had put in the plugs originally. Been in for about 2 years now. I guess it screwed up the thread a little, but they tapped it out and it is up and running again. Go figure. Would explain why the sound was so weird. Oh, and they tried to sell me a full set of plugs and wires too. Said that they were all original and needed to be replaced. Explained to them that THEY had replaced them when I got my car....
Gotta love mechanics.
Erik