I first got into 1st gen Celicas when I was 16, I bought a 1972 model TA22, it was Yellow with color co-originated bumpers, low with really wide 13" wheels, 8" wide I believe. I grew to love the car more and more the longer I owned it, but eventually sold it and replaced it with a V8.
18 years down the track and I still have my V8, and a turbo rotary, but wanted to start racing. It was an easy choice that I would get another Celica, but finding a good one to start with would be the hard part.
After a lot of searching I found one interstate, over 2000 KM from where I live. I started my adventure by flying there and driving it home. 40 year old car that hadn't been driven for months, 2000km trip, no problems.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I had a plan laid out from the start and as soon as I got the car home I started work on it, 6 months down the track, this is what I had.
1974 TA22
4AGE 20 Valve (SilverTop) sitting on custom made engine mounts
Adaptronic ECU
Electric Water pump, run as PWM, through the ECU
Holden Commodore Radiator. (Super common and available everywhere if something happens at a race meet)
VL Commodore Fuel pump
Customized fuel tank so it doesn't need 2 pumps and a surge tank
Standard T50 Box, fitted via a A series Belhousing
Standard Tail shaft
AE86 GT LSD Diff and disk brake rear with custom hand brake cables. (All works like factory)
GT Racing 6 piston front calipers
BMW 320i Brake rotors
Toyota Camry Master cylinder, sleeved down (Fits right onto the Celica booster)
AE86 Coilovers in the front (with custom spacer above, as they are shorter than Celicas, much too low without the spacer)
AE86 Super low King Springs in the rear.
13"x7" Superlight mags
Stripped interior
6 point roll cage
Cobra racing seat
Momo steering wheel
White Painted gauges
Custom switch plate that fits over the radio hole. (This looks really cool, ill find a picture)
I think that's about it, its been an awesome car, in my first year of racing, it got me to 1st place in every round I completed and never let me down once.
Future plans are W55 dog box (sitting on the garage floor at the moment) and a turbo. (Turbo has always been the plan, you can see the space I left in front of the radiator in preparation.)
![Image](https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/1256483_599865143392882_50838045_n.jpg)
![Image](https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t31.0-8/1559564_820663681283393_1353757910_o.jpg)
![Image](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t31.0-8/1553216_820663487950079_733970479_o.jpg)
Hope you like,
Lucas.