engine oil advice needed

Hey
Lately when I start my 95 GTP up first thing in the morning I have a considerable amount of valve tick. It seems to be getting worse as the weather here in Ontario gets colder. It does go away after about 15 minutes of driving, but it basically means having to baby the car all the way to work. (guessing the oil is just settling over night because the levels are fine)

I just bought the car about a month ago but I love driving it so much that its almost due for an oil change, probably within the next 2 weeks. I'm not sure if the oil in it is a synthetic blend or not, but I do want to put synthetic oil in it, with any luck get rid of the valve tick. So I'm wondering about different makes of oil.

I've been seeing this Royal Purple stuff advertised on TV and it sounds like good stuff, but can anyone back this up? Should I use something else? Also, my brother swears by this Lucas Oil Treatment stuff in his 93 Mazda MX6 (I know, shouldn't take advice from a ricer, but he is my brother) and said I should give it a try, can anyone tell me what advantages/disadvantages this might have?

I've got the 3.4L DOHC with approx. 177,000km on it running 87 Octane gas (thats another thing, should I be running higher octane?)

Thanx

Jamie

If the previous owner never changed the timing belt, it's WAY overdue. Changing to synthetic now will cause more trouble (leaks mostly) then it's worth. I am not a big believer in synthetics, unless it's in a vehicle that you run the crap out of. Royal purple is a good quality synthetic if you decide to go that route, but I STRONGLY recommend against it. Lucas has it's advantages, especially in worn engines, but don't expect miracles. Your tick is more than likely caused by worn lifters, and they are bleeding off as the car sits, and quieting down as they "pump" back up as you drive. Lucas, being what they call a "climbing agent" (it causes the oil to stick to metal and not drain back) may help your situation if the tick is the lifters bleeding off.

regarding synthetic vs conventional:

I am going to be changing my oil this weekend for the first time since I've owned the car.

I don't know what kind of oil the previous owner used. The car has a "new" engine and tranny (about 24k miles ago) - which I kind of feel like I might have gotten taken for the proverbial "ride" believing that, because of the oil consumption/fouled spark plug issue that I've been having...

anyways, back to the point --> do you think I should go with a synthetic, given that I don't know the oil history, or should I stick with a conventional oil? Or maybe a conventional/synthetic blend? What brand and weight do you recommend? I am in Lawrenceville, GA and winter is coming soon...

Monthly average temps here for Nov, Dec, Jan are:
Nov: hi 63 F, lo 43 F
Dec: hi 54 F, lo 35 F
Jan: hi 50 F, lo 31 F

Do you think if I added some of the Lucas Oil treatment it might help with consumption? I know, I need to get to the heart of the issue and get a compression check done, but I figure if it'll help even a little, since I'm changing my oil anyways and can't really get to a shop this weekend...

Thanks in advance!


edit to add: oh yeah, what is the fill capacity (including filter) for a 98 GTP --> I think it is 4.5 qts, is this correct?

Oil capacity: 4.5 quarts with filter. I've used mobil1 since approx 57,000 miles with no issues. Whatever oil you choose, stick with it. Try not to go back and forth between conventional and synthetic. I'd also recommend the NAPA NASCAR Select (spin flow) oil filter.