Early in the series, Jed makes a statement...but it just doesn't seem to add up. One ride in a city car would make anyone ditch the truck.

A modern car being driven by hillbillies would be like James Bond driving Fred Sanford's truck. I seriously doubt the viewers would go for it as that car was an important element to the series.

Jed Clampett was a very practical man. He would never buy a new vehicle as long as the old truck was still running and getting them where they needed to go.

Jed wouldn't even consider having the truck repainted. In one episode, he instructs Jethro to "rub it down with coal oil." For that matter Jed's old clothes, with old-fashioned shirts, were also in keeping with the character.

This series without the truck would be like Batman '66 without the Batmobile, like Green Hornet without Black Beauty, like The Munsters without their car (or Drag-ula), etc. -- it was an iconic symbol of the series and could not be removed. Though Jethro did have it taken apart and redone once, yet Granny forced him to have it remade as it was.