They call him the Ice Cream Dude.

And when people stop 24-year-old Cody Hale on the street, it's just as much because of his car as it is to buy a Watermelon Bomb Pop, Cry Baby Italian Ice or a Bubble Gum Snow Cone.

That's just what the former construction worker from Rio Linda hoped for when he took a gamble with his last $500 and built a rad ice cream wagon that'd be at home at any California beach. Lucky for him, he had an 1965 Volkswagen Beetle sitting in the garage and a dad who helped him restore and modify the car.

Just two weeks into his new profession, he thinks he's found a recession-proof job he can still do despite a recent injury.

"I make more money driving an ice cream truck than in my old construction job," he said as the Beach Boys blared from a loudspeaker attached to the hood. "The job isn't even like a job, 'cause I just drive around and have fun all day."

Unfortunately for Sacramento residents, "Cody's Ice Cream" won't be sold in the city until at least next year. Being so new to the business, he can't afford the insurance coverage needed to be permitted to operate in the city. He can, however, afford to operate in unincorporated Sacramento County and Rancho Cordova.

Last week, he drove into Rancho Cordova and Sacramento to get a county health permit, a background check by the sheriff's office, a county business license and and specialty mobile business license totaling about $275.

Driving the wagon around downtown Sacramento, Hale explained how he and two other family members modified the car. He and his dad, Lyn Hale Sr., cut the top off the Bug and cut the doors down low. His brother, Lyn Hale Jr., painted the body pale green-blue with paint left over in the garage.

They added wood paneling and trim to the sides and replaced the windshield with a low racecar windshield they had. They also removed the back seat and built a back deck for an ice cream freezer.

The cost of his ice cream wagon: $100 for parts, $100 worth of Bondo and $200 for a small freezer from Home Depot. He estimated buying a vintage Bug and having the work done would have cost $8,500.

Hale broke his left wrist in two places six months ago while riding a friend's horse. With his wrist in a cast, he was unable to work as a construction laborer, and the doctor told him the wrist would need to keep healing for many months. His wrist is still so weak he can't do much except drive.

He considered going to truck driving school but decided to become the Ice Cream Dude so he could stay near his family.

Hale designed his ice cream wagon to draw business. Music and an outgoing personality help, too, he said.

In his short time at the job, he's discovered a few other secrets. He does a lot of community public relations at Little League games and cheerleader car washes in the Rio Linda and Elverta areas. He also drives only about three miles an hour -- while most ice cream trucks drive about six, he said.

"I'm going about half that to give the older people time to come out of their house," Hale said. "I have a lot of older clientele. They appreciate the car. They always buy the ice cream sandwiches and Big Dippers, which are the higher-priced items."

He's also figured out where the most people will be outside in highly populated neighborhoods after dinnertime, the magic hour for ice cream vendors.

"Now I have a route and I run the same pattern once a day," said Hale, who estimates gas costs him $7 a day.

He plays mostly 1950s music and the Beach Boys on the loudspeaker and built an open wagon, rather than an enclosed car or truck, to make it easy to have friendly conversations with all his customers.

"I'm trying to bring back the whole '50s era of ice cream trucks and take them back to a happier time of life," he said.

He'll even wear a dog costume when he takes the ice cream wagon to children's birthday parties. He spends $60 to $90 a day on ice cream and $10 a day on dry ice.

He considers it all a fair price to pay.

"It's fun and I make real good money. I don't have any boss over my shoulder. I get to be friendly and talk to people all day long," Hale said. "I'm having the time of my life."