What about open source tuning? 3gsucks open source tuned my 02wrx and it was amazingly different. Sound, power, hp/tq curve, etc. I don't see why you couldn't OS tune the 97 gt unless the ECU doesn't allow it. (Like the old ecu's you must sodder chips on to)
If that's the case, maybe you can swap out your ECU for a newer one. This is getting over my head, i dont know if the ecu swap will work or not. Someone here does though i'm sure.
You might also try one of those intake sensor mods you find on ebay where you put a resistor in the AIT or MAF.. (Warning this is a guess).. I did this on my 99 monte carlo z34 which made it run rich. Then I changed the intake and free'd up the exhaust by removing cats, and it seemed to run pretty good compared to stock. My 99 z34 (not supercharged) would keep up with the 03 or 02 (not sure which first year for monte carlo s/c) off the line all the way up to gov cut at 105. I was actually a nose length in front of the s/c model, so there was power gain. I never dyno'd it, but butt dyno and track testing says it worked.
This is a subaru though, i dont know if you should go raping it like I did the chevy. Chevy can take it, i duno bout this. From what i hear, the tuning of a subaru is finicky, and you shouldn't mess with it like i did the chevy. But this is an older subaru, so it might work...
someone chime in that has more knowledge on my ideas if they'll help him out