'96 Sunfire SE Convert -- Whole Host of Problems!

Any help whatsoever with any or all of the following issues would be great. This car has been in and out of the Pontiac shop since I got it, I'm almost positive the problems are never going to end until this baby hits the junk yard, but until then:

1) About two months ago, out of the blue, I start the car up, no problem, and this incredibly loud, hissing/rattling sound screams from towards the front of the car. It almost sounds like a chain being dragged over pavement. When I start it up later that day, the sound is gone, and I'm relieved. But about a week later, the same sound is back. Sometimes it'll start as soon as I turn the key in the ignition, other times it'll wait until I'm sitting in traffic: always totally random. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to me.

2) Acceleration. Putting it eloquently, it sucks. Below 40mph, and over 55mph, it runs great, really smooth ride actually. But when I'm driving around 45-50mph, at about 2.5-3 RPM, the car starts jerking. I really have to jam my foot down on the gas to get it up over 50. This has probably been the biggest issue with the car since I got it, and all the remedies Pontiac has given (O2 sensor, EGR valve, etc, etc, etc.) have been essentially useless.

3) The clock on the dash -- it isn't showing up. Just completely 100% blank. The CD player works fine, but the clock is just completely out, and it has nothing to do with the intensity control wheel because all the lights on the dash (the speedometer, etc) are fine.

4) I know the motor is probably shot, but the power window on the passenger side refuses to go down. Does anyone have a ballpark figure on how much it would take to repair?

Apologies in advance if any of these questions are completely, 100% beaten into the ground.

what motor 2.4L or 2.2L?
1. could be a timing chain or a waterpump (I'm thinking chain tensioner though), depending on the motor.
2. car is old enough, check the Cat, it may be getting plugged up
3. light in the radio burnt out, old car, it happens, no replacement that I know of, buy an aftermarket stereo, and enjoy the better sound.
4. the price of a motor, around $75 IIRC, and an afternoon with a Haynes manual replacing it and the rivets.
theirs a nice writeup on www.j-body.org on the windows, in fact you can get a LOT of answers there. as well as find some good upgrades and what not.

It's a 2.2L, and thanks for all the advice, I appriciate it :)

that noise could be a bearing in the pulley assembly somewhere as well, try to narrow it down to a specific location and that will most likely be where the prblem is.