My brother-in-law just came into possession of a beautiful 1955 Plymouth Belvedere convertible. The car belonged to his father, who just recently p***ed away. My brother-in-law brought the car home to Manitoba just a couple of weeks ago (it had been in Nova Scotia for the past 30 years). His father purchased the car back in 1980 or 1981. The car was sold in Illinois, but at some point in its life moved out to California. The story with the car is that it was used in the episode of Happy Days where Joanie gets a car (for her sixteenth birthday??). Perhaps it is the episode "Sweet Sixteen" (season 6, episode 7 - October 17th, 1978). It makes for a rather interesting history of the car. Neither my brother-in-law or myself are Happy Days fans, so we can't remember the episode. We tried finding a copy of the episode on DVD, but only seasons 1 to 4 have been released so far. Just wondering if anyone remembers the episode or, better yet, could post some video/screen captures. Please help if you can! I will try to get some pictures of the car to post. In fact, I will encourage my brother-in-law to become a member of the H.A.M.B. Thanks.
http://www.tv.com/happy-days/joanie-gets-wheels/episode/20646/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap I don't see anywhere about what kind of car it is though.
Thanks. It sounds like that might be the episode! Like I said earlier, we are not big fans of the show and are not sure which episode that the car appeared in. We do know that it was Joanie's car, but the details of how and when she got it would have to be confirmed by a fan of the show...
Close I guess...Was goin with a brain crystal from long ago...Just didn't look right. I checked my book...it's 55....I like em both!! Murph
haven't seen where they are showing it on the internet but the dvd's are available. thought for sure it would be on HULU.COM
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/happydays.html On this site there is a trivia section where you can email the webmaster questions.
Canadian models would have looked like a Dodge at the front and the plymouth at the rear. Both the 55 and 56 were two of the better looking cars of the years.
Detailed episode information from the above sight: #172- Joanie Gets Wheels (12/9/80) Joanie secretly buys a car to keep Chachi interested in her. Directed by: Jerry Paris Written by: Dave Ketchum & Tony DiMarco Guest stars: Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccalo, John Miranda as man, and Rita Crafts as woman. <DL><DT>Note: <DD>The movie that Howard and Marion went to see "The Music Man" had Ron Howard (Richie) in it. Marion makes a comment on how she wanted to see that movie because the little boy in it reminder her of Richie. Then they showed the picture and it was Ron Howard. <DD>The car that Joanie buys (a yellow convertible with red flames) looks similar to the one that Ralph drove in the early episodes of Happy Days.</DD></DL> Sounds like this is NOT the episode with the '55 Belvedere convertible in it. I guess we keep looking...
Here is a couple pages from my Car Spotters Guide. Not all that great of a comparison but you get the idea.
Because you people are kinda goofy up there....Look what you did to Mercurys and Chevelles? Better check your Plymoge for Chevy taillights! Seriously though,...I like it! Murph
Episode Score 6.0 Fair 17 votes Your Score 10 9.5 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 Rate it now! <!--/my_rating--> Episode Buzz Joanie Gets Wheels ranks 252,358 out of all 117,758 episodes (of all shows) on TV.com. This episode of Happy Days does not yet have any reviews. Be the first to review Joanie Gets Wheels. Air Date Tuesday December 9, 1980 Production Code 60538-169 Top Episodes They Call It Potsie Love Guess Who's Coming to Christmas The Physical Cruisin' All the Way Fonzie Drops In Richie's Flip Side Haunted Hardware Jungle Big Money <!--/COLUMN_A1-->Episode Recap Add/Edit Synopsis Despite Howard's objection, Joanie decides to buy a car because she and Chachi are tired of having to double-date, and Chachi cannot afford to buy his own. Full Recap Joanie and Chachi limp into Arnold's after having to double date with another couple because neither Joanie nor Chachi have their own car. The other couple brought along their pet monkeys which attacked Joanie and Chachi. They tell Al what happened, and he goes to get some raw meat for Chachi's eye. Chachi goes into the restroom to wash up. Fonzie comes in, and Joanie tells him about the date. She asks him if he would feel bad if a girl took him on dates in her car. She says Chachi can't afford a car because he helps support his mother. Joanie wants to buy her own car and will ask her parents for permission. Fonzie says Howard won't let her, but Joanie says she knows how to handle him. In the Cunningham driveway, Potsie is sitting in his car, and Howard tells him to turn off the radio. Potsie's waiting for Fonzie to fix the car. Potsie honks the horn, and Fonzie comes out from underneath the car. Howard reminds Fonzie about their agreement that he wouldn't fix cars in the driveway. Fonzie promises that it won't happen again. In the house, Howard tells Marion how he handled Fonzie. Marion and Joanie have prepared pork chops with pineapple for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert in order to soften Howard up before Joanie asks about the car. He turns her down. He says that a car is too expensive, and, if she got a job, her studies would get neglected. Joanie storms into the kitchen. Jenny comes in and asks Joanie about the car. Jenny says her father wouldn't let her get a car, but she's had one for a year without him knowing. Jenny puts the idea into Joanie's head that Chachi may leave her for someone who does have a car. They go outside, and Jenny leaves. Joanie asks Fonzie if he can help her get a car. She leads him to believe that Howard is letting her get one, so he agrees to help her. Scenes are shown depicting Joanie picking Chachi up at Jefferson High and driving around town as well as her getting a job as a cashier at a movie theater. At her job, Chachi complains that he and Joanie don't spend enough time together anymore. Howard and Marion are in line for tickets, so Joanie ducks behind the counter. She only shows her hands, but Marion recognizes them, and Howard sees the ring he gave her. Howard confronts her about buying the car. Howard tells her to finish her shift and, then, quit the job. After Howard and Marion leave, Joanie tells Chachi to bring the car back first thing in the morning (the seller had given her two weeks to decide if she wanted to keep it). Chachi pushes the car into the Cunningham driveway. It's 6:00 A.M., and Joanie comes out and guesses that the car won't start and that Chachi had pushed it 10 blocks. They call down Fonzie who is wearing a red robe that has "Sweetums" embroidered on it. Joanie asks if Fonzie can fix her car. She needs it fixed right then so that Howard won't see it, but she lies to Fonzie telling him that she's late for work. He doesn't buy it and surmises that Joanie didn't tell Howard about the car. They hear Howard stirring in the house, and Joanie asks Fonzie to cover for her by saying it's one of the cars he's fixing. Chachi leaves. Howard comes out of the kitchen and asks what the car is doing there. Fonzie says it's from his garage, and Howard chastises him, once again, for parking a car in his driveway. As he tears into Fonzie, Joanie admits the car is hers. She apologizes to Howard and Fonzie for lying to them. Howard says that when he tells her what to do or what not to do, it's because he worries about her. She apologizes again as they embrace. Fonzie wipes away tears of his own. Joanie goes inside to get ready for school, and Howard talks to Fonzie. He apologizes for yelling at him about the car being in the driveway. Fonzie accepts and offers to make Howard a truce breakfast
Here is what I found. Say hello to Scott for me. "Joanie Gets Wheels" Air Date Tuesday December 9, 1980 Synopsis Despite Howard's objection, Joanie decides to buy a car because she and Chachi are tired of having to double-date, and Chachi cannot afford to buy his own. Full Recap Joanie and Chachi limp into Arnold's after having to double date with another couple because neither Joanie nor Chachi have their own car. The other couple brought along their pet monkeys which attacked Joanie and Chachi. They tell Al what happened, and he goes to get some raw meat for Chachi's eye. Chachi goes into the restroom to wash up. Fonzie comes in, and Joanie tells him about the date. She asks him if he would feel bad if a girl took him on dates in her car. She says Chachi can't afford a car because he helps support his mother. Joanie wants to buy her own car and will ask her parents for permission. Fonzie says Howard won't let her, but Joanie says she knows how to handle him. In the Cunningham driveway, Potsie is sitting in his car, and Howard tells him to turn off the radio. Potsie's waiting for Fonzie to fix the car. Potsie honks the horn, and Fonzie comes out from underneath the car. Howard reminds Fonzie about their agreement that he wouldn't fix cars in the driveway. Fonzie promises that it won't happen again. In the house, Howard tells Marion how he handled Fonzie. Marion and Joanie have prepared pork chops with pineapple for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert in order to soften Howard up before Joanie asks about the car. He turns her down. He says that a car is too expensive, and, if she got a job, her studies would get neglected. Joanie storms into the kitchen. Jenny comes in and asks Joanie about the car. Jenny says her father wouldn't let her get a car, but she's had one for a year without him knowing. Jenny puts the idea into Joanie's head that Chachi may leave her for someone who does have a car. They go outside, and Jenny leaves. Joanie asks Fonzie if he can help her get a car. She leads him to believe that Howard is letting her get one, so he agrees to help her. Scenes are shown depicting Joanie picking Chachi up at Jefferson High and driving around town as well as her getting a job as a cashier at a movie theater. At her job, Chachi complains that he and Joanie don't spend enough time together anymore. Howard and Marion are in line for tickets, so Joanie ducks behind the counter. She only shows her hands, but Marion recognizes them, and Howard sees the ring he gave her. Howard confronts her about buying the car. Howard tells her to finish her shift and, then, quit the job. After Howard and Marion leave, Joanie tells Chachi to bring the car back first thing in the morning (the seller had given her two weeks to decide if she wanted to keep it). Chachi pushes the car into the Cunningham driveway. It's 6:00 A.M., and Joanie comes out and guesses that the car won't start and that Chachi had pushed it 10 blocks. They call down Fonzie who is wearing a red robe that has "Sweetums" embroidered on it. Joanie asks if Fonzie can fix her car. She needs it fixed right then so that Howard won't see it, but she lies to Fonzie telling him that she's late for work. He doesn't buy it and surmises that Joanie didn't tell Howard about the car. They hear Howard stirring in the house, and Joanie asks Fonzie to cover for her by saying it's one of the cars he's fixing. Chachi leaves. Howard comes out of the kitchen and asks what the car is doing there. Fonzie says it's from his garage, and Howard chastises him, once again, for parking a car in his driveway. As he tears into Fonzie, Joanie admits the car is hers. She apologizes to Howard and Fonzie for lying to them. Howard says that when he tells her what to do or what not to do, it's because he worries about her. She apologizes again as they embrace. Fonzie wipes away tears of his own. Joanie goes inside to get ready for school, and Howard talks to Fonzie. He apologizes for yelling at him about the car being in the driveway. Fonzie accepts and offers to make Howard a truce breakfast.
Here are most of the cars used in the series, but i don't see it, it might not have been posted, strange because it's a main object in an episode. http://www.imcdb.org/movie_70992-Happy-Days.html
The Jalopy Journal
