Life Plus Cars

Hello Life Plus Cars community! We are back this week with a very special guest: Brendan's dad, Bob Bailey! Recorded back during the holidays, Brendan and Ian were able to record in person together with his dad. Join us as Bob tells us about: -Fixing up an old Peugeot that he bought for $40 -buying his first car, a 1971 Simca, from his parents -Discovering the Willys Jeep in an old barn that he st...

Welcome back to another episode of the Life Plus Cars podcast!   Inspired by the summer weather ahead, Brendan and Ian talk about convertibles on this week's episode.   Listen in as the hosts discuss: -Recommended care and maintenance for convertible tops -a brief history of the convertible and some noteworthy examples -their favorite hard top and soft top convertibles -the quirkiest convertibles...

Welcome back, Life Plus Cars Community!  For this week's episode, Brendan and Ian talk all about SAAB. Listen in as the hosts discuss: -a brief history of Saab -growing up with Saabs, particularly the wagons -Brendan's ownership history of Saabs from the past -some of their all time favorite Saabs over the years -rare Saab models that were rebadged vehicles from other automakers -two surprise Crai...

Welcome back to the Life Plus Cars Podcast!    Winter appears to finally be over in New England. As they bid farewell to the cold weather, Brendan and Ian talk all wheel drive. On this week's episode: -Brendan shares his tech tips on how an all wheel drive system works and a brief history of how AWD became popular in mainstream cars. The two hosts share their top picks for all wheel drive cars, bo...

Welcome back, Life Plus Cars Community! Join us this week for part 2 of our conversation with Kaitlin, friend of the show, who joined us to talk about her experience operating tractor-trailer trucks and other heavy equipment while serving abroad in Europe with the U.S. Army.    In this part 2 of our conversation, Ian, Brendan, and Kaitlin talk about: -Kaitlin's favorite places where she was statio...

Hello Life Plus Cars Community! We are back after a late winter hibernation away from the mic. Hey, we've had a LOT of snow up here in New England!   For episode 33, we are excited to share part one of our conversation with listener Kaitlin, who is a friend of the show and discovered our content from the Life Plus Volvo episode (episode 19).    Join Brendan and Ian as they chat with Kaitlin about...

Hello, Life Plus Cars Community! Welcome back to another episode where we talk about what's new in our car world, learn about some car tech, explore the history and culture of an iconic car, and discover some unusual Craiglist vehicles.    Join hosts Brendan and Ian on this episode as they discuss: -how your car's coolant system operates and why it matter so much -how coolant is also responsible f...

Hello Life Plus Cars Community! Welcome to part two of our conversation with Ian's high school friends Martin, Alex, and Colby. Join us as the group discusses:   -how Alex became horribly lost in New York City in a broken down Honda Odyssey on his way back to college in Pennsylvania -The mystery of a Honda Civic named Silver Strider  -the poster cars that we all dreamed of owning when we were teen...

Hello Life Plus Cars Community! We are back and are experimenting with a new segmented episode format.    On this episode, we explore Life Plus... Car News! Brendan and Ian discuss the latest and craziest Shelby Mustang that is set to debut in 2026, the possibility of the Subaru WRX STi returning, and the demise of the VW ID Buzz after just one model year in the U.S.   Tech Tips with Brendan! In t...

Brendan and Ian welcome three guests to the Life Plus Cars Podcast for this special episode! Ian's three high school friends, Alex, Martin, and Colby, joined the conversation to look back, laugh, and regale about the shenanigans connected to their high school cars.    In this special episode, tune as the hosts and their guests discuss: -the glory of Subarus from the 90s and how fun to drive they w...

Happy New Year from the hosts of the Life Plus Cars Podcast!   To kick off 2026, hosts Brendan and Ian run through the list of every new car that you can buy with manual transmission. That's right, folks- you can still buy a car with a stick shift in 2026! Which cars, do you ask? It may be more than you think!    Plus, is Brendan getting any closer to convincing Ian to buy a new Jeep Wrangler? Lis...

It's the holiday season, and Brendan and Ian are back for a special episode celebrating the holidays...plus cars!   On this holiday episode airing on Christmas Eve, the two hosts: -remininsce on their favorite Christmas morning memories -fondly remember the toys and playsets they received as a kid (spoiler: they all have to do with cars) -discuss the best kinds of gifts for the car people in your...

After a brief break following Thanksgiving here in the US, we're back! It's the holiday season, and for many, that involves holiday shopping. On this episode, join Ian and Brendan as the partake in one their preferred form of shopping...browsing for cars on Craigslist! Tune in as they discover: -a rare Eagle Talon (and no, we're not talking about the raptor) -a well worn Honda Del Sol, which Brend...

Brendan and Ian are back with another Deep Dive episode, this week starring...BMW! Already well into a conversation about their favorites, the two hosts decided to hit record and make a full episode about Life Plus BMW.   Tune in this episode to find out more about: -Brendan and Ian's favorite vintage and modern BMWs -the quirkiest of BMWs from their history -BMW's SAV (the X5) and how it changed...

We love to invite new guests to join the podcast, and this week we welcome Ian's good friend and fellow VW enthusiast Aidan Yoder! The two friends sat down to record this episode in Aidan's 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia. [Please note: due to the unique (and very cool!) recording setup, the audio is a little fuzzy. Thankfully the story is all there!]   Aidan tells us the story of how the Vanago...

On this episode, Brendan and Ian take another automaker deep dive. Next up: Volkswagen!   Tune in as they talk about: What comes to mind as their favorite vintage Volkswagens The Beetle and the icon it remains today VW's comedic and memorable ad campaigns throughout the years The R performance models from VW and the unusual engines that made these cars unique Volkswagen of today and what they woul...

Brendan and Ian are excited to welcome another special guest to the Life Plus Cars Podcast! Joining us for this episode is Niel Stender, a seacoast New Hampshire-based automotive journalist.    Tune in as the hosts interview Niel and learn about: -Niel's introduction to the car hobby and later the automotive industry -The winding road that led to Niel writing full-time as an automotive journalist...

Brendan returns from the Carlisle Fall Auction and has stories to tell! If you listened to episode 20, What to Look For at Car Auctions, you'll know that Brendan had his eye on several vehicles. Which ones did he end up buying? Hint: Ian is particularly excited about one of the cars Brendan brought home from the auction.  Tune in to hear the full story and more!   Life Plus Cars: Curating Car Conv...

In this episode, Brendan prepares to head to Carlisle, PA for the fall car auction and swap meet. Ahead of the trip, Brendan sits down to talk with Ian about cars he is most excited about along with other tips and tricks to know when buying a car at auction. Tune in as the hosts discuss: Brendan's top picks from the Carlisle auction, along with a few surprises Brendan's experience selling a car on...

In this episode, Brendan and Ian begin a series of "deep dive" conversations, where they pick an automaker and discuss it at length. To start things off, let's talk VOLVO!   Tune in as they talk about: What they think of when they picture an old Volvo Volvo's safety innovations that continue to this day Volvo's longevity as a brand (and in quality) The R performance models from Volvo and why they...

After sharing the tales of Bob Beatty and the Burns family cars, special guests Robin and Nancy are back! The car stories continue: Nancy remembers how she got stuck in an overheating Chevy Corsica on the Tappan Zee Bridge Robin shares how a mice-infested Honda Civic led to her first Volvo Brendan tries to convince Nancy to buy an E-Ray, the all electric Corvette Plus, will there be a drag race be...

On this episode of Life Plus Cars, the hosts delve into the cinematic side of the car world. Brendan and Ian discuss their favorite movies that are all about cars, including Gone in 60 Seconds , The Fast and the Furious franchise, and, of course, Disney Pixar's Cars.  Ian also takes a different route to share movies that have a car as a leading character, including Little Miss Sunshine and Tommy B...

Hosts Brendan and Ian are back with an episode that asks the question: would you keep a car forever? Which car? Is there even such a thing as a "forever car"?   The two discuss what makes a car worth keeping versus getting rid of, including factors such as maintenance, value (both monetary and sentimental), and usage. They look back on cars from their past and honor some of those cars that they ha...

The cars that we drive in high school and college have so many memories attached to them. This week's episode is no exception! Life Plus Cars welcomes two very special guests to join the conversation: Ian's mom, Robin, and his aunt Nancy! Robin and Nancy share stories of the infamous "Beatty Bombers", which were a series of old cars from the '60s and '70s that their dad bought for them down at Bea...

Do you have a car that you have a soft spot for? You know, the car that-whenever you see one- you have to stop and look? Maybe old Mercedes wagons. Maybe turquoise-colored Ford Rangers. Or maybe Subaru Outbacks from the 90s. Whatever the car may be, it's the one that you've always admired.  As you can imagine, Ian and Brendan have more than a few cars that they admire. In this episode, the two hos...