97 elantra engine problems

Hello,
I am having major problems with my Elantra. On Tuesday, I was driving my car, and it shut off all the sudden, no reason, shut off. I started it again, and there was a lot of clinking noises, and i had to floor it to make it go a quarter mile per hour. Finally, I got it home, i was only a few blocks away. I checked the oil and transmission fluid, wasnt it. On Wednesday, I tried it, and it ran okay for 5 minutes before dying. Than the clinking noises started again. So I know that its not a rod. Than I open the hood, and it smelled like gas so bad! I tried to start it again, and this heavy black smoke came out of the exhaust. Thursday, I tried starting it again, it wouldnt start. I am thinking its the plug wires, but I dont know for sure. Somebody could help i would like it lots!
Thanks,
-R.E.

I have a 96 with 187000 miles on it. It started doing the same thing. It started losing power and I barely made it home. I tried to start it the next day. It would start but would not stay running. Smoke out the exhaust. It would miss terrible then hit ok for about 3 seconds then continue to miss. Couldn't push on the gas or it would stall. With 187000 miles on it, I figured it was done, so I went to the yard and got a used one with 55000 on it and installed it. Maybe that's the way you need to go?