The GT Project

A GT or Grand Touring Car is a car that has been designed to travel long distances at high speed (figure about 100 mph).  These cars were a niche market, aimed at drivers who wanted a car that handled well, accelerated adequately, braked well and carried a couple of people or two couples and their luggage comfortably on a long trip.  These cars sometimes leaned toward Muscle Cars, or even Police Interceptor/Pursuits, but hadIt is both a luxury car and driver’s car.

Examples of this type of car are found in the following Marques (this is not complete listing): 

• Iso Rivolta, Grifo, Fidia and Lele,  
• Jensen Interceptor, 
• BMW 5, 6 and 7 series, 
• Jaguar XJ-6, XJ-12, and Sovereign
• Daimler 420 Sovereign, 
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Lister Corvette,
• Studebaker Avanti
• Avanti Motor Company Avanti II
• Alfa Romeo 8-C, and GTV6
• Maserati Quattroporte, 3500 GT, and Bi-Turbo
• Porsche 928 and Panamera, 
• Citroen SM, 
• the Chrysler 300 “Letter Cars" from 1956-1965, 
• 1970 and 1971 Plymouth Sport Fury GT,  
• the Chrysler TC by Maserati, 
• the late 1990s Chevy Impala SS, 
• the late 1990s Mercury Maurader  
• the new (Mercedes-Benz based) LX chassis Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s,
• Buick Park Avenue Ultras, 1987- 1993 Olds Touring Sedans (of both the 88 and 98 variety) and 
• 1990s Cadillac Sevilles.

So, can I turn the GEZROKET into a GT?  Yes, probably with ease.  Here's why:

• The 1991 - 1993 Olds Touring Sedan is the same C-Body as my 1996 Olds 98 Regency Elite Sedan.  It is the same car in many ways.  Here's a 1991 Motorweek episode featuring the sister car, a 1991 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan.
• The basic suspension architecture for the 1991-1996 Oldsmobile 98 (C-Body - the GEZROKET) is the same as the 1991 Oldsmobile (98) Touring Sedan.  Springs?  MOOG Replacement GM optional FE3 Spring.  Anti-sway Bars?  The Factory 32mm Front Anti-sway Bar, 17mm Rear Anti-Sway Bar, and GM (or OEM equivalent) front struts and rear air leveling struts are the same as the 1991 - 1993 Oldsmobile (98) Touring Sedans.  I've already added Factory 16" x 7"wheels (I chose Cadillac 14 spokes as Oldsmobile 44 spoke Turbine wheels that were optional on the (98) Touring Sedan were 3X the price of the Caddy wheels!) and P215-60R16-95T were close enough to the original P205-70-R15 sized tires on the factory 15" x 6" Oldsmobile wheels to keep the speedometer accurate, which immediately cured the "floating" magic carpet feel of the FE1 suspension and 15" wheels with 70 series tires.  While the Touring Sedan used Goodyear Eagles, I'll stick with my Michelin Defenders until I need new tires.
• The 1991 - 1993 (Olds 98 based) Touring Sedan did have the older GM3800 as compared to the L36 GM3800 Series II V-6.  While the GM3800 had better low end torque than the L-36, the L-36 makes more torque at higher revs and 205 HP, a 30 HP gain over the original 3800.  The earlier 98 based Touring Sedans had the optional Supercharged 3800, which, although it's listed in the C and H body service manual, the L67 Supercharged GM3800 Series II doesn't appear to be an option for the 1996 (last year model) Olds 98.
• It won't have a center console or analog gauges, nor the confusing amount of switches that the 98 Touring Sedan had, but the digital dash is reasonably cool.  I may build a small floor mounted in front of the seat "CD Holder" and even go as far as mounting a couple of digital gauges (Oil Pressure and Voltage) to compliment the digital readouts from the dash.

So, besides the normal everyday wear and tear replacement what do I need to do in order to turn the GEZROKET into a GT?

• Rule #1:  Never Over Drive Your Suspension.  The suspension will be upgraded to New MOOG OEM Replacement FE3 Front and Rear Springs, New KYB Front Struts Assemblies and KYB Rear Air Struts, and Anti-Swaybar Urethane Bushings and End Links will be the order of the day.
• Rule #2:  Never Over Drive Your Lights.   I'll install a new set of OEM Headlights Reflectors/Lenses and a Daniel Stern Lighting kit that gives full electric power to the lights 
• Rule #3:  Never Over Drive Your Brakes.  ZZPerformance offers a few kits.  These usually fit W or H bodied cars.  If the F-body kit fits, I'll use it.
• Rule #4:  Keep it Quiet and Classy.  A lower restriction Exhaust would help the little 3800 Series II V-6.  I believe a 2-1/2" Exhaust (deleting the "U-Bend Resonator) and a Muffler from a 1998 Camaro B4C Police Interceptor would lessen the exhaust back pressure and give the car a little "rasp" without being obnoxious.