While perusing the local car lot, Dave Crabtree discovers his mother's been reincarnated as a junkie old car, so he buys her and brings her home, much to the dismay of both his wife and eccentric car collector Captain Manzini.

When Dave learns that there are local vandals who are stripping cars, he spends a sleepless night going to ridiculous lengths ensure his mother's safety.

Dave is forced to drive his mother to a mountaintop wedding, but along the way she gets drunk on antifreeze.

Gladys falls asleep and winds up on a truck bound for Mexico. When they discover she's missing, both Dave and Captain Manzini go into mourning.

When his mother encourages him to meddle in their quarreling neighbors' affairs, Dave inexplicably winds up breaking up their marriage.

Captain Manzini launches Operation Unscrupulous: he replicated the Porter, hires a trio of thieves to steal the original and establishes an airtight alibi for himself.

An obnoxious neighbor petitions Dave to get rid of his "eyesore" car, but he changes his tune when a television executive announces plans to feature the Porter in a TV commercial.

Captain Manzini goads Dave into a race against a speed walker in an attempt to attain ownership of the Porter.

Dave puts a TV in the garage for his mother, but confusion abounds when she wins a chance to appear on a game show.

With the help of his mother, Dave lands a new client by pretending to be a ventriloquist.

Dave is up for a job as a judge, but complications ensue when he gets a pair of roller-skates stuck on his feet.

For his mother's birthday, Dave decides to take the family to the drive-in, but the evening is mostly a disaster.

In order to get his mits on the Porter, Captain Manzini fakes a terminal illness.

When Captain Manzini manipulates Barbara's mother, it results in the whole family treasure hunting for the Porter's registration slip.

Dave and Barb each decide to forfeit their own Christmas presents to bid on the other's work in a charity art auction.

Dave and Barb decide to finally go on their honeymoon, but Barb's mother goes to ridiculous lengths to ensure they don't leave.

Dave's mother gets amnesia following a fender bender.

Captain Manzini uses a hypnotic drug on Dave to get him to agree to sell the Porter.

Captain Manzini uses a molecular compressor on the Porter to render it useless to Dave.

Dave hires a maid to help out with the housework, but she quickly takes charge of the house.

The Crabtrees get stranded in the backwoods when the local sheriff discovers Dave's driver's license has expired.

Dave and his mother try to thwart the assassination of a visiting dignitary.

A nosy mailman convinces officials that Dave killed his mother and buried her under the floor of the garage.

Captain Manzini tries to steal the Porter away from the Crabtrees by hiring a Dave lookalike.

Numerous complications ensue when Barbara wins a new car.

A handsome developer wants Mother for a promotion gimmick.

Dave is hired by a landlord keen on evicting a tenant running a Greek Tavern (with belly dancing!) in his building. When Dave and Barb check out the place, the landlord shows up, and they must avoid being seen.

Barbara catches Dave talking to the car and soon the news of the talking car is in the papers. Manzini then tries to convince the car to come away for fame and fortune. Dave stops them and then wakes up from a dream.

When mom tricks Dave into buying a doll for Randy and Cindy after hearing Cindy wish for it, Cindy convinces the neighborhood kids that the 1928 Porter is a genie.

After returning home from a Bridge game, the arguing Crabtrees are held hostage by jewelry store robbers.