Wally Buys a Car

Very entertaining episode. Wally learning the ropes. Who'd buy a convertible for a young driver with safety concerns?

Beaver like a puppy dog waiting at the window. Shyster salesmen are always good sitcom characters. Wally unaware of Ward's car knowledge?

Remembering your first car really CONNECTS with this episode. Hugh Beaumont often contributed ideas to the series, and from his own personal experiences. He plays a super dad and hero hero.

Wally has saved $180 dollars for his very first car. Now its time to shop around and see what's out there. There's the catch. It gets complicated, not to mention the price of insurance, upkeep, etc, etc, as duly noted by Ward. Just like a real dad would tell y'all.

A fun story, and poignant at times, because it's a big responsibility for a teenager. In today's money market, Wally's $180 would equal about $1700, and that's pretty commendable for him to save up so much.

Look for Ed Peck as the car salesman. Peck was everywhere on tv, both sitcoms and cop shows. He appeared many times on THAT GIRL, later HAPPY DAYS.

This story may have inspired Greg's first car episode on the BRADY BUNCH, about 9 years later. Another tv classic. Greg bought a 55 Chevy, though the car was pretty sharp when it got fixed up.

PS; You've got to see the Cleavers taking a ride in Wally's jalopy. Once around the block!

From SEASON 6 remastered dvd box set. A terrific color cover for fans.

... and I guess that makes it strange I would rate it so highly. But this really isn't a typical Leave It To Beaver with one of the kids getting into a fix and learning a life lesson from it.

Instead, it's Wally learning that the price of a car doesn't end with buying the car, and that maintenance, insurance, and registration are costly recurring issues. As he sits in his room lamenting the expense of things, Ward comes in and says he'll help with all of these auxiliary costs under a few conditions - Wally keeping his grades up and driving responsibly and Ward has to approve of the car purchased.

So where is where the writers could make a choice - They can either have Ward insisting on some car that a grandma would drive, putting Wally in a bind and having to either be ungrateful to his dad or be embarrassed to his peers, or they can write what they did - Show an experienced dad making sure that his son looks for the right things when buying a car.

The end was cute with the Cleavers going to dinner in Wally's diamond in the rough used car with the neighbors saying that Mr. Cleaver must not be doing so well at his firm.

There really is no need for a spoiler warning on this one because it is not your typical story driven episode.

(*Wally to Beaver quote*) - "I'm figuring out the pros and cons of buying a car."

Out of the 39 episodes from the 6th season of "Leave It to Beaver", I'd say that this was certainly one of the better ones.

With only $180 to spend, Wally doesn't really have much to choose from.

To help Wally make a sound decision, Ward goes along with him when he goes looking for a car.

A good episode of a teen buying his first car - something we all go through. Ward helps out to make sure Wally's purchase is a sound and safe one.

Just a shame we have to endure another "stupid" comment from a mmazar-01634. She really lacks insight and vocabulary....