Life Plus Cars

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-tim...

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: ...

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 exp...

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...

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 Corve...

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 Boy.

Plus, should Brendan become a ...

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 the...

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 Beatty's Garage in Connec...

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 hosts share ...

This week, Ian and Brendan are back to share their experiences of buying new cars. The two hosts describe the new car buying process as they have experienced it as well as what to be aware of if you're in the market for a new car. 

Ian takes the listener on the journey that led to buying a new 2019 VW Golf Alltrack. Still his daily driver with almost 80k miles on it six years later, Ian shares what influen...

Ian and Brendan take to the mic to tell their stories of buying used cars. Speaking from his vast car-buying experience, Brendan shares his personal tips, tricks, and recommendations when buying used.

The used car stories continue as Ian revels in his rollercoaster ownership of a 2011 VW GTI named Lana and Brendan looks back on a basket case ZJ Grand Cherokee that he couldn't pass up.

And fina...

Life Plus Cars welcomes Mike Briskie to the podcast, who has an accomplished career in the automotive industry and is also a skilled driver on the track. Mike recently led a group of car enthusiasts on a winding journey through the back roads of seacoast Maine and New Hampshire, all without the assistance of GPS. Mike tells Brendan and Ian about the inspiration behind the Seacoast Manual Transmission Rally and his own stick shift t...

Brendan shares the story of how he bought a 2006 Pontiac GTO while in college and had to regretfully sell it after a time. On a whim, he thought to track down the GTO and see where it ended up. You'll be amazed to learn how Brendan reconnected with his old car, and it may not be how you expect!

Ian also shares his own tale of "the one that got away", taking listeners through his time spent with a derelict 1960 Morris Minor converti...

Join us as Life Plus Cars welcomes another guest to the show: Ian's longtime friend and former college roommate, Cody Whelan. Cody is well known in the Portsmouth, NH community for his two dynamic businesses: Treeline Outfitters and Three Pedals New England. 

Cody joins the podcast to share his inspiration to start a manual transmission driving program, his first time "rowing the gears" on his parents' Subaru Outback, the ethos a...

What's in a name? Hosts Brendan and Ian discuss how and why people name their cars and how it further adds to the human connection we have with the cars we drive. Along the way, they regale stories of their past and current cars named Belinda, Lana, Clarence, Winston, Spike, and many more. If you've ever named a car, this is the episode for you. 

Life Plus Cars: Curating Car Conversations!

Email us with inquiries or your own ca...

Brendan and Ian honor the late Brian Wilson, his talents, and his iconic songs as part of this episode all about Music Plus Cars. The two hosts share their favorite Beach Boys songs, both car-related and otherwise, along with other classic tunes about cars. Along the way, they also discuss other bands that favored cars in their music, the intersection of cars, movies, and soundtracks, and the daunting yet essential task of being th...

In this episode of Life Plus Cars, hosts Ian and Brendan record together in the same space for the first time! Ian stops by Brendan's shop, home of Bayley Automotive, for a tour of two vehicles currently housed at the garage: Brendan's 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport and his dad's 1967 Chevy SS 427. Along the way, Brendan tells us how he and his dad acquired these two cars and the unique moments they've shared with them. As a bonus, ...