GEORGE'S STORY
George Swift has come off the sofa now though and is immersed in restos
Where did your passion for classics start?
‘Many different places: an interest in the history of engineering, being brought up around older cars, my curiosity to understand how all the components of a car come together to produce an operating vehicle, going to countless car shows and watching the BTCC at Oulton Park when I was eight.
But the real reason was all the hours I spent playing Gran Turismo and Need for Speed as a kid. This gave me a basic understanding of which cars had what engines, different drivetrains etc. It gave me a passion that will last forever. The cars I was brought up with were BMWs, Subarus and Land Rovers, iconic in their own respective categories.’
What classics do you have?
‘My dad and I own a 1992 Land Rover Defender 200 Tdi 90 and an N-reg BMW E34 525i Sport manual with the all-important limited slip diff. My dad has owned the Land Rover since 2008, I was only six-years-old then, but I remember sitting in the centre seat changing gears as my dad drove. He has owned the BMW since 2002 when I was six months old. The Land Rover was a lockdown resto after being off the road for a couple of years, which left a lot of chassis corrosion needing work, cutting, cleaning, welding, fitting a new rear crossmember, etc.’
What is your dream classic?
‘The BMW actually – it is still a work in progress, it needs sills, wings, floor, wheel arches, Typical BMW. This car’s last MOT was in 2016 and it has seen a lot of rain since then, we’re hoping for it to see the road again very soon as we are convinced this is a real modern classic. I actually cannot wait to drive it as my dad tells me it’s a real driver’s car, a lot of work until that day though. Classic muscle cars such as the 1969 Dodge Charger or a 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback, these are also very special cars.’
What does the future hold, what is your ambition?
I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I’ll continue to enjoy everything I do with cars, whether that be fixing, modifying or driving them. My ambition is to get more involved in the
