As you may know, Andy Anderson has a thing for his Rambler of indeterminate year. He thinks of that car as a member of the family, and treats it way better. Unfortunately, the clunker eventually gives out in the middle of the Veterans' Day parade. It gets towed home, where Andy spends every waking moment with it. When trying to drive the Rambler to work the next day, it completely conks out. So Andy is back to putting his pointy head under the hood, even forcing Louie to help him fix it, only he can't tell one wrench from another. One morning, the piece of junk wouldn't start at all. The Rambler was officially dead, but Andy refused to give up. Fortunately, Ora had a plan: for Andy's birthday, they were going to buy a new car. But they needed enough money to fill the cookie jar, and so Louie and Tommy head out to find ways of earning extra bucks. Louie craps out at every job he tries out for, until he gets to Smitty's garage, where he can tell a 9/16ths wrench and gets the job. So with Tommy's panhandling, Louie working at the garage and Ora having a spontaneous yard sale, they finally had enough money. So on the day of Andy's birthday, they blindfold him and take him downtown to the dealership, where they buy a brand new Rambler. Everyone loved it. Unfortunately, Andy found problems with the car almost from the beginning: he didn't like a car that ran smoothly, or had functioning brakes. Oh well, I'm sure he'll get used to it. His old Rambler can rest in peace (or pieces) at the junkyard, and Andy can start a whole new milestone with his new car. Right?
Sadly, old mules like Andy hate change, and so, when Louie got home from school the next day, he was horrified to find the old Rambler back and the new car gone! Man, I knew Andy had issues, but this is going a bit too far. The old man reasons that there's more to a car than whether it works or not. He's so attached to his car because it was there in all the major events of his life: returning home from the war, his first date, proposing to Ora, and even Louie being born it! Actually, he says two of the children were born in the car, but he doesn't say who the other one was. So seeing that his dad was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs about his car, and knowing he'd be stuck trying to help him fix it the rest of his life, Louie appeals to Smitty to help. He sneaks him into the garage a few nights a week and helps him repair the car. Then, one morning, when Andy gets in the Rambler, it starts up! She's alive! By the next Veteran's Day parade, the Rambler actually made it through, and Andy shows he was aware of Smitty's help in getting it running again.
Andy's feelings for his Rambler are very similar to Al Bundy and his Dodge. As far as the model of the car, it looks like a 1959 Rambler Rebel, but it's said Andy had the car for twenty years, which would make it a mid-40s model. However, the car shown is definitely a '59 model, which I guess the animators were more accustomed to. Doesn't matter anyway, since Al Bundy's Dodge was actually a Plymouth Duster. This episode is sentimental in a way, as Andy indirectly says that his car means so much to him because it involves his family. Still, I think he has issues, especially when he immediately jettisons the new car and runs to the junkyard to retrieve his old one. I mean, sure, we all get attached to our old cars and wish we could hold on to them forever, but unfortunately, cars DO wear out eventually and they have to be replaced. Andy's old Rambler chugs on for the rest of the series and is the butt, or tailpipe, or numerous jokes. So if you can relate to Andy and have an unhealthy obsession over your car, or you can relate to Louie and can't stand your parents' heap of junk, then I definitely recommend this episode! A lot of fun and good messages.
Sadly, old mules like Andy hate change, and so, when Louie got home from school the next day, he was horrified to find the old Rambler back and the new car gone! Man, I knew Andy had issues, but this is going a bit too far. The old man reasons that there's more to a car than whether it works or not. He's so attached to his car because it was there in all the major events of his life: returning home from the war, his first date, proposing to Ora, and even Louie being born it! Actually, he says two of the children were born in the car, but he doesn't say who the other one was. So seeing that his dad was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs about his car, and knowing he'd be stuck trying to help him fix it the rest of his life, Louie appeals to Smitty to help. He sneaks him into the garage a few nights a week and helps him repair the car. Then, one morning, when Andy gets in the Rambler, it starts up! She's alive! By the next Veteran's Day parade, the Rambler actually made it through, and Andy shows he was aware of Smitty's help in getting it running again.
Andy's feelings for his Rambler are very similar to Al Bundy and his Dodge. As far as the model of the car, it looks like a 1959 Rambler Rebel, but it's said Andy had the car for twenty years, which would make it a mid-40s model. However, the car shown is definitely a '59 model, which I guess the animators were more accustomed to. Doesn't matter anyway, since Al Bundy's Dodge was actually a Plymouth Duster. This episode is sentimental in a way, as Andy indirectly says that his car means so much to him because it involves his family. Still, I think he has issues, especially when he immediately jettisons the new car and runs to the junkyard to retrieve his old one. I mean, sure, we all get attached to our old cars and wish we could hold on to them forever, but unfortunately, cars DO wear out eventually and they have to be replaced. Andy's old Rambler chugs on for the rest of the series and is the butt, or tailpipe, or numerous jokes. So if you can relate to Andy and have an unhealthy obsession over your car, or you can relate to Louie and can't stand your parents' heap of junk, then I definitely recommend this episode! A lot of fun and good messages.