Introducing Our October Bright Young Sparks Finalist, Braden!
22 October 2025
How did your interest in Classics start?
I have always been interested in cars, for as long I can remember. I started by being fascinated by how everything worked from a very young age. From there, I realised that cars were everywhere, but they were all so different, but also all the same. As I got older and my understanding of cars grew, I then became interested in what made cars all different from each other. One car stood out to me from all the rest but I didn’t know what it was at the time, but later learnt that it was the BMW E46, (which is a car that I now own) and this carried on until I could drive. Once I could drive, I kept looking at cars I could get, what was affordable, what was insurable, and this was when I discovered classic cars and the simplicity of them compared to the modern cars. It was fascinating to see how far cars had come in not a massive amount of time. I wanted to get myself my first project car, which is my 1992 Volkswagen Scirocco.
Who has been your greatest help?
In recent years, and at least since I have been able to drive, Mark, my stepdad, has been the biggest help with bringing my interest to fruition. With Mark being a fellow car enthusiast, already having some experience with classic car ownership and working on cars, he was able to answer a lot of questions. Mark has also been the one who has helped me with fixing my own cars when I’ve either got stuck, don’t understand, or, most commonly, not hitting it hard enough.
Tell us about your project Scirocco
It is a 1992 example, on a K, it is one of the very last MK2 Scirocco’s produced for the UK market before the regulations changed, mandating a catalytic converter. When I got my Scirocco, it was in need of a fair amount of work to get it back on the road, but it was structurally sound. I have replaced the brake lines and fitted a new master cylinder. I replaced the fuel tank. To allow space for the fuel tank to come out, I needed to remove the rear axle/trailing arms, which I also refurbished before refitting back to the car. I replaced the fuel lines and all the bushings on the suspension. I have repaired wiring issues, removing an inoperative immobiliser, rewired the electric windows, relaced gear linkage bushings and several seals to stop it raining inside the car! There have been a few modifications that I have made to the car, such as the period-correct BBS alloy wheels painted in BBS Gold, the front Hella fog lights and a gauge panel in the interior for oil pressure, oil temperature and voltage.
Tell us about helping your stepdad finish his project
There have also been times when I have helped my stepdad, Mark, with his project car, which is a 1973 Gilbern Invader MK3. Most recently, I have helped him replace the rear main seal on the engine, which included dropping the engine and gearbox out the bottom of the car with the sub frame, as there wasn’t enough space to just remove the gearbox to access the rear main seal. I have also helped Mark with replacing the head gaskets. I am a second pair of eyes when diagnosing an issue, or just being in the garage for encouragement for the times when a job isn’t going as planned. (Note from Mark - Braden is too modest, I would not have got it done without him!)
What is next for you in the Classic car world?
For me, the next thing is to learn how to weld. We all know classic cars are very likely to have issues with rust, and as I plan to continue in the world, being able to know how to weld will open up many new possibilities for project cars in the future. I've already booked an evening class to make a start. I decided against being a mechanic for modern cars because I feared it would dull my passion for cars over time, as modern cars can be generic and boring. A career with classic cars would be quite different in comparison, but I’m unsure of the direction I could go in.
Nominate!
Do you know someone aged 16-25 who is aspiring to work with classics? Spending weekends with them, or a club hero? We want to hear from you: visit lancasterinsurance.co.uk/ competitions/bright- young-sparks and get nominating!
INSPIRING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
The Lancaster Insurance Bright Young Sparks initiative supports young people striving to join the classic world, either through work or as a hobby. In the run up to the Practical Classics classic Car and Restoration Show in March 2026, we will be sharing the stories of six ‘Bright Young Sparks’ as nominated by you! Each finalist will win £250 in vouchers to go towards tools or classic kit, two one-day tickets to the PC Resto Show in March 2026 and their story featured in PC. The overall winner will also win an industry taster with specialists and PC too.
Visit our Bright Young Sparks page to enter. All nominees must be aged 16-25 to qualify.