Daily Driven: 1G-GE-powered TA22 Celica

28 December, 2016

Owner: Sam McGill
Location: Auckland
Occupation: Navy able marine technician (electrical)

NZPC: Hey, Sam. You don’t see many people daily driving an old-school Japanese car in this condition any more. How long have you had it, and what have you done?
Sam: Hey, guys. I bought it nearly two years ago from an old guy down in Wellington. It was a bit rough around the edges, but I’ve been bringing it back up to tidy condition, and have added the ST-model bonnet vents, grille, and oil-pressure and ammeter gauges.

Being an able marine technician in the navy and getting deployed on the ships regularly, how do you find time to work on the car?
I actually took the door cards on the ship down to Antarctica with me — the side louvres and grille went on a trip up into the islands, as well. They’re pretty good like that; I’m allowed to work on bits in my own time. I also helped build an RB30 on a ship, but that’s another story.

The wheels look period correct for the car, giving it that awesome Japanese-muscle vibe.
What are they?
They are 1970s TRD Toscos; pretty hard to come by these days. For me, they absolutely make the car, and I’m so glad that I’ve got them. People leave notes under my window wipers asking to buy them [laughs].

Rad, and we see that it’s had a bit of an engine swap with the addition of a 1G-GE and five-speed box — do you have plans for more modifications?
For sure, I love the one-and-a-half 4A-GE [1G-GE]. I’m currently in the process of buying a 4A-GE individual-throttle-body set-up from a friend and want to get a high-scroll header.

That should make for some crisp noise! It’s missing some of the modern comforts newer cars come with — have you had any issues daily driving a 42-year-old car?
Not since I’ve owned it. I took it down to Christchurch over Christmas and it loved the 2000-ish-kilometre journey. Don’t think I could ever let it go now, to be honest.

A good choice. Look after the old girl, Sam. Thanks for the yarn.

Make/Model: 1974 Toyota Celica LT (TA22)
Engine: Toyota 1G-GE, 2000cc, six-cylinder
Interior: Factory, new carpet, custom centre console
Exterior: Resprayed green-purple pearl
Wheels/tyres: 13×8-inch TRD Tosco, 205/60R13 Cooper Cobra
Suspension: Shortened shocks, compressed springs

“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.

Daily Driven: 1G-GE-powered TA22 Celica

Contact us

Sign up to New Zealand Classic Car's newseltter