{"id":15744,"date":"2018-04-28T07:00:06","date_gmt":"2018-04-28T11:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=15744"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:25:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:25:08","slug":"thats-so-clutch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/owners-clubs\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch.html","title":{"rendered":"That&#8217;s So Clutch"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.floated-images-left img {width: 49%; height: auto; display: inline !important;}<br \/>\n.floated-images-left img:first-of-type {margin-bottom: 1rem;}<br \/>\n@media (min-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n.floated-images-left {float: left; margin-right: 1rem;}<br \/>\n.floated-images-left img {width: auto; height: auto; display: block !important;}<br \/>\n}<br \/>\n<\/style>\n<p>When I write a story, especially about someone I\u2019ve never met, I do an interview&#8230; if not in person, at the very least on the phone. Usually, that phone call lasts all of 15 or 20 minutes.&nbsp;Then I called Jeffrey Binder and that all changed.&nbsp;Some people just have an energy that comes through the phone.&nbsp;An optimism.&nbsp;When you\u2019re done with your business, you find a reason to stick around.&nbsp;Jeff is that kind of guy.&nbsp; What would have been a brief chat turned into more than an hour of talking like a couple car guys who had been buddies for years.&nbsp;I knew this was going to be a better than average experience.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15898 aligncenter\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-01-490x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-01-490x327.jpg 490w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-01-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-01-674x450.jpg 674w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-01.jpg 899w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Jeff lives in Tucson, Arizona, and has been an enthusiast his entire life; his dad was a Camaro guy and his mom was into Cadillacs.&nbsp;In fact, he took his driving test in a 1989 Fleetwood Brougham. \u201cSo I don\u2019t want to hear anything from anybody about parallel parking!\u201d he laughs.&nbsp;When the Dodge Viper was released in 1992, he was wowed by the American supercar, then his buddy\u2019s father got a 1996 GTS and that\u2019s when Jeff promised himself he\u2019d have one someday.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward and that day came, he got that Viper.&nbsp;\u201cWhen I meet somebody who\u2019s got a Mustang or Corvette, if they love that car like I love mine, then we\u2019re fine.\u201d&nbsp;Jeff goes on, \u201cI can\u2019t afford an Aventador, but I meet people with Lamborghinis who are just as nice to me because it\u2019s not a money thing, it\u2019s about passion&#8230; Car culture may be going away.&nbsp;Younger people&nbsp;these days aren\u2019t getting their driver&#8217;s licenses, they Uber, they Lyft, they wonder why you\u2019d want to own any car; so I consider us ambassadors to this culture.&nbsp;I\u2019ll let people sit in it; it\u2019s a car, it\u2019s meant to be enjoyed!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15899 aligncenter\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1rem;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-02-244x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"244\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-02-244x327.jpg 244w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-02-336x450.jpg 336w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-02.jpg 448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That passion and enthusiasm got him into a board position with his local club.&nbsp;It led him to track days.&nbsp;And then he had his accident\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was out with some of my car buddies; we had gone for coffee, a drive, then we were going to one of the guys\u2019 houses for a barbecue.&nbsp;And a minivan crossed the double line.&nbsp;I made a move to avoid her and assumed I\u2019d spin out into the dirt, maybe mess up the suspension&#8230; well, I found a tree&#8230; and I found it good.\u201d&nbsp;The impact was so severe, the tree went almost all the way to the Viper\u2019s center console, wedging Jeff\u2019s legs in the car. First responders quickly got there to rescue him and they tried a hydraulic ram (the \u201cjaws of life\u201d) to spread the wreckage apart, but it didn\u2019t work.&nbsp;They attempted to pull the frame open by strapping it to a tow truck and pulling, but that wasn\u2019t enough.&nbsp;Jeff notes, \u201cAt hour three, I started to go in and out of consciousness and with my physiology degree, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.&nbsp;The clock was ticking.\u201d&nbsp;Finally, after three-and-a-half hours, they got him out of the car, into the helicopter and off to the hospital.&nbsp;For a couple of weeks, they thought they could save his left leg, but on the advice of his specialists, Jeff decided to amputate.&nbsp;\u201cI know I made the right call.&nbsp;And having a say in that decision, in my own destiny, helps.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16205\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-003.jpg\" alt=\"That's So Clutch - Image 03\" width=\"1170\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-003.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-003-614x262.jpg 614w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-003-768x328.jpg 768w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-003-700x299.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At this point, I\u2019d like to say that Jeff\u2019s voice through all of this was nothing but optimistic, as if he was blowing through these ugly details so he could get to the \u201cgood part\u201d of the story.&nbsp;Honestly, as we were talking about this, he would laugh at things that must have been pure hell to deal with at the moment.&nbsp;But that\u2019s just the kind of guy Jeff is.<\/p>\n<p>So let\u2019s get to the \u201cgood part\u201d!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15893 aligncenter\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1rem;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-04-245x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"245\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-04-245x327.jpg 245w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-04-338x450.jpg 338w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-04.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 245px) 100vw, 245px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As a car enthusiast, Jeff was determined to drive a manual transmission again.&nbsp;He bought a Gen 3 Viper, but there was a problem: \u201cI don\u2019t have an ankle in the traditional sense anymore, so I have to press the clutch from the knee\u201d (to push his prosthetic leg against the pedal). However, the shoe would catch on the carpet and he\u2019d miss the pedal.&nbsp;Or, if his prosthetic drifted to the right, he could inadvertently hit the brake pedal.&nbsp;So, that\u2019s where ingenuity comes in.&nbsp;Jeff got together with some friends (Randy Weidner from Zero Altitude Flight and Jon Brobst from Viper Parts Rack) and began to develop a pedal modification that would allow his prosthetic to stay on the clutch pedal&#8230; and the result is simply brilliant.&nbsp;It\u2019s fully adjustable, gives him the stability he needs and has now been on the car for more than 40,000 miles!&nbsp;In fact, he\u2019s let other folks drive the car and they barely even notice it\u2019s on there.&nbsp;But, the thrill it gives him is truly priceless.&nbsp;That pedal brings him freedom to drive the Dodge he fell in love with all those years ago.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15894 aligncenter\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1rem;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-05-436x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"436\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-05-436x327.jpg 436w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-05-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-05-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-05.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Obviously, a story like this starts to spread, and there was an amputee in Phoenix who wanted to try out Jeff\u2019s pedal.&nbsp;They met one morning and went for a drive.&nbsp;The guy loved it and traded his automatic Porsche for a Gen 5 Viper that same day, knowing he could put that pedal on!&nbsp;And that\u2019s where we are now:&nbsp;Jeff is currently working on a new version that will allow him to quickly move the pedal from one car to another because he\u2019s still doing track days and gets offers to drive his friends\u2019 cars. Plus, the pedal design can be adapted to pretty much any car with a manual transmission, so it\u2019s not limited to just Dodge vehicles.&nbsp;Jeff has been working with a medic treating military veterans who have lost limbs, sharing his story and his design with them so they can have the same freedom he enjoys.&nbsp;In fact, the pedal is so adaptable, non-amputees are finding it helpful: he mentioned a husband and wife using it so they can share the car, allowing both of them to comfortably reach the pedals.<\/p>\n<p>Ready for this? He\u2019s not charging anyone for the design.&nbsp;\u201cIt\u2019s not a laptop where there\u2019s three in every home!&nbsp;I believe in the spirit of it and I\u2019m happy to share it with anyone who believes it\u2019ll help them or someone they know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16206\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-006.jpg\" alt=\"That's So Clutch - Image 06\" width=\"1170\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-006.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-006-589x327.jpg 589w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-006-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-006-700x389.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That crash changed Jeff\u2019s life forever, but he\u2019s clearly made lemonade from lemons.&nbsp;Two years to the day after the crash, he went back, drove that road in his car and visited the firefighters who saved his life. I congratulated him on his great attitude and optimism and that\u2019s when he replied, \u201cIt\u2019s so important to me that I show my appreciation to everyone who has helped me through this.&nbsp;I never want anyone to think they wasted their time with me.\u201d With confidence, I can say no one has.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When I write a story, especially about someone I\u2019ve never met, I do an interview&#8230; if not in person, at the very least on the phone. Usually, that phone call lasts all of 15 or 20 minutes.&nbsp;Then I called Jeffrey Binder and that all changed.&nbsp;Some people just have an energy that comes through the phone.&nbsp;An optimism.&nbsp;When you\u2019re done with your business, you find a reason to stick around.&nbsp;Jeff is that kind of guy.&nbsp; What would have been a brief chat turned into more than an hour of talking like a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":15896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2624],"tags":[2227,509],"class_list":["post-15744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-owners-clubs","tag-mods","tag-viper"],"acf":[],"custom_fields":{"post_thumbnail_image":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/thats-so-clutch-thumbnail.jpg","icon_selection":"article","external_link":"","featured_article":[],"upload_background_image":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15744"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15744"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43974,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15744\/revisions\/43974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}