Talking Stick Shift Cars And New England Winter Driving

Car People

Car people are a specific breed. They have tells that are immediately obvious to other members of this population. Examples include an insistence on driving stick shift cars. Or using the word “live” in conjunction with a car.

For example, “Oh yeah, that 911 is sick. It lives over on 4^th Street”. Saying a car “lives” somewhere to un-car people is often met with concerned stares, uncomfortable silences, and a pat on the head. (In fairness, my wife skips the head pat when I talk like this.)

So when Cody Whelan was telling me about a sweet car in the neighborhood and where it lived, it was just one more bullet point in his laundry list of genuine car guy credentials.

How To Bolster Your Car Guy Credentials

Perhaps the top of that list is his company Three Pedals New England, a driving school that teaches adults how to drive stick. As a proud owner of The Manual Transmission Gearbox Society’s nerd-badge-of-honor window sticker – that I have ever-so carefully applied to my Mazda 6’s glass – I was stoked to read about Cody’s business in the Wall Street Journal a few years back. Then my jaw hit the floor when I discovered he lives (as do his cars) about a mile up the road from me.

So I reached out to Cody because, well, this idea was just so appealing I had to know more. Which resulted in the opportunity to work with Cody as an instructor. Attention fellow gearheads: if you come across such an opportunity, jump in, it’s really fun. But that’s a story for another day.

Today, we’re here to discuss the cars under Cody’s care – of which there are more than meets the eye. You see, on the day I stopped by to get some photos and details on his rides, Cody opened up the garage (barn?) door to show me some other gems. These unexpected automotive discoveries have become something of a theme in my new quest to talk with car people. I like.

The Street-Legal Go Kart

When I first met Cody, he was piloting a sharp-dressed third-gen Mazda 3 hatch finished in that dazzling shade of Soul Red Crystal and riding on some bronze wheels that were, I daresay, dope.

It was a car that I clocked many times before meeting Cody due to our proximity and it’s always-so-clean appearance. But Cody found the Mazda’s clutch action to be a bit too soft and ambiguous for teaching folks how to drive stick shift. So he swapped it for a Mini Cooper S, the original street-legal go-kart.

A car for car people, the Cooper S is a little rocket, churning out 189 horsepower and more than 200 lb-ft of torque from its boosted four-pot. Of course fitted with the 6-speed stick, the dual center-mounted exhaust pipes, and Mini’s signature giant central circular display, this is one cool car.

Bonus points for the handsome leather and cloth upholstery, THRPDLS license plate, and knobbly winter tires. Getting excited about snow tires may seem odd to un-car people, but for those who enjoy driving stick shift and live in wintry climes, you know how awesome these underrated rubber rounds are.

Hot Hatch Godfather

As evidence of this awesomeness, I present the 2019 Volkswagen GTI driven by Cody’s wife Emily. Though I am closing in on Ansel Adams’ level of photographic proficiency, I’m not quite there.

But even with my deliberately simplistic analog approach, it’s easy to see that this Cornflower Blue beauty is absolutely coated in winter driving grime – including some serious fender bergs. We had a banner winter here in New Hampshire this year and although Cody warned me on how filthy the GTI was, I wanted to capture it in this well-loved state.

Look closely and you can see the aggressively siped tread of Nokian snow tires wrapped around a snappy set of Enkei wheels fitted expressly for this purpose. It avoids dirtying up the handsome OEM Pretoria rims and looks pretty darn good in the process.

You may also notice the roof rack on Emily’s GTI. This combination of winter tires, roof rack, and hatchback practicality are why the Vee Dub is the perfect all-around vehicle. Cody and Emily use it all winter, up in the mountains enjoying all the fun that a snowy day delivers. As Cody notes, and as anyone who uses snow tires can attest, he has zero issues in the slick stuff. Love it.

Almost as much as I love the Tartan cloth seats. The best. When they went looking for this GTI, a car that Cody says converted Emily into a serious car gal, it was 1 of just 3 available in this configuration…across the country.

That Cornflower Blue turns heads and hooked Emily at first sight. But combining it with the must-have 6-speed stick and those glorious Tartan buckets was tough. Fortunately, they found one relatively close by and jumped on it. Did I mention it’s a Rabbit Edition? Such a cool car.

A Discovery Of Cars

When Cody opened up the barn to get some shots of the Mini, I learned his car bug is deeper than previously understood. Over here a ’69 Mustang under cover, over there a beefy Rhino-lined YJ, and up front a stunning 1994 Saab 900 Turbo Commemorative Edition convertible.

Each one of these cars is cause for celebration – the Jeep is sprayed inside and out with Rhino liner, has a nice lift, and sees only warm weather – but the Saab jumped out at me. Not just for its incredible condition. But because I’ve inadvertently ended up on a Saab kick of late.

First there was the 9-5 Aero wagon I stumbled upon and later purchased. Then one Ken Aldrich and his pair of sweet Swedish metal sleds – a Viggen and a 9000 Turbo – and now this.

This particular 900 Turbo, which Cody keeps stored for his wife’s uncle, is a looker. Just get a load of those wheels! That brand-new top! Fresh black paint to match the original Commemorative Edition hue. A stick shift as you would expect. Very nice. Though not everyone would agree.

Purchased from our Northern friends in Ontario, upon returning, the border agent expressed his un-car person-ness, exclaiming “You paid that much for such a crap car?” How very wrong he was. The Saab is a stunner and gets all manner of use – toting dogs, hauling IKEA furniture, and near-daily summer use with a hitch-mounted bike rack. Perfect.

It capped a nice visit with Cody and left me hungry for more car stories. To you fellow gearheads who drive around, noting where the cool cars “live”, know that there may be even better rides hidden inside. Happy hunting!

Shameless Stick Shift Plug

As the Art of Manliness  points out, Every Man Should Know How To Drive Stick. I’d contend that everyone should learn to drive stick shift (and I’m sure the authors would too as they are a husband AND wife duo), but the point is, it’s a great article with killer artwork. A good starting point indeed.

However, for those wanting to add a practical component, be sure to check out Three Pedals New England. This driving school, run by Cody Whelan, is dedicated to teaching folks – who already have their license – how to drive stick shift cars. If you, like me, learned this art form by burning up the clutch and swearing like a sailor with your buddy’s old beater, you know there must be a better way.

There is. It’s called Three Pedals New England. An actual process combined with plenty of patience means anyone, including those with zero experience, can be confidently piloting a stick shift car in mere hours.

Enthusiast Catnip: Mk7 VW GTI Rabbit Edition

To be clear, Cody has quite the setup of cool cars – all stick shift I might add – but one that has me frothing with enthusiasm is the Cornflower Blue GTI Rabbit Edition that Cody’s wife Emily drives. A GTI has long been on my short-list of must-have cars and this one checks all the boxes.

• 6-speed stick? Check.
• Tartan plaid seats? Check
• Knockout paint job? Check
• Tiny rabbit tailgate emblem? Check.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for that little rabbit logo. It adds a just-right zip of nostalgic style to a car that has, in my extra sought-after opinion, some of the best style in autodom. One day, a GTI will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine…

2019 Volkswagen GTI Rabbit Edition Specs