i just bought a 98 hatchback dx, and i wasnt the one who checked out the engine, but i just looked in it, and the intake mount was broken, and the airbox(i think thats whaat it is)broken. i think the airbox is broken because of the sway bar. would this affect my hp/torque or my mpg? first car =D

need more info: intake mount? - where was it broken, and how (as in snapped off, twisted, etc.)? also, is this intake mount the metal piece that's connected to the top of the engine on one side, and a bendable plastic tube on the other side, or are you describing something else? air box - are you just talking about the casing (black plastic)? if so, and you intend to keep the stock air box, your biggest problem, depending on where holes are in the box, is a dirty intake or crap getting sucked in. it's important to know where on the box it's broken. was this car in an accident? how did these things get broken? is this a previously modded car, or was only a sway bar added? who did the checking of the engine for you before you bought the car? someone you trusted but who failed to mention these issues, which were readily locatable upon visual inspection? i don't mean to get down on you for this, but since it's your car, you should have looked it over, yourself, a little better before buying and noticed these things before signing..... if you happen to have or develop a blockage in your airflow, your engine could start to run not as well as it should (i.e., not enough air to combust the fuel from the injectors). if you get a total blockage, your engine will die (not explode, as far as i know, but flood w/unburned fuel) due to asphixiation. you need to remedy this hole/breakage asap. but you haven't given enough info as to the nature of your problem to give a better diagnosis. this issue definitely has the potential to screw with your mpg and/or your hp/torque output to the wheels, b/c there's a difference between actual engine output of power and usable power to the wheels. feel free to post here again if you want more info.