Plot summary

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the elderly Carpenter brothers, Hobe and Taylor, produce their latest batch of whiskey. When they refuse to do business with R.J. Hunnicutt, and his henchmen, Jake, Jim Bob, and Bubba, they dynamite the Carpenters' still. Harley Thomas, who works as a runner for the Carpenters, disrupts the thugs' attempt to steal the Carpenters' stock and a hydroplane chase ensues. He later attends a church service where Harley's girlfriend and R.J.'s daughter Nancy Sue, urges him to give up bootlegging and talk to her father about a job at his bottling plant. Later, Harley meets with R. J. at a strip club and issues him a warning about using dynamite. That night, as R. J. and and his wife are at home discuss Nancy Sue's college plans, his Cadillac explodes parked in the driveway.The next morning, Rudi Volpone, a representative from New York City, visits to oversee the operations. R. J. explains that the plant bottles a soft drink called Honey Dew during the day and whiskey after hours. R. J. and Jake take Volpone into the Everglades to see how the liquor is made. The men are displeased that fellow moonshiner Rainey is using the rotgut to produce the liquor and R. J. shuts him down. Outside a tavern, Jim Bob and Bubba kidnap Harley and plan to dump him in the Everglades, but he fights back and escapes when their car overturns in a field. Later, the Carpenters inform Harley that they cannot make any more whiskey because their sugar supply has been cut off. Harley suggests stealing sugar from R. J., but the Carpenters are reluctant for fear of their safety.That night, at the plant, R. J. insists on shipping Rainey's tainted whiskey, with Nancy Sue discovering the truth about her father, but is intercepted by Bubba before she can find Harley. As Harley steals sugar from the plant's warehouse, Jake and Jim Bob capture him, but slips free from them and goes to rescue Nancy Sue from Bubba. She informs Harley of the poisoned whiskey and insists they stop the delivery truck. Harley pours sugar into the gas tank of Jim Bob's car, but an open bag of sugar in Harley's trunk spills, leaving a trail behind his car. Jim Bob and Bubba follow the trail and start shooting when Harley and Nancy Sue stop to hide sugar for the Carpenters, but Harley and Nancy Sue flee and Jim Bob's car breaks down due to the sugar-filled gas tank.On the highway, Harley and Nancy Sue spot a Honey Dew truck parked at a grocery store. They dump the truck's contents only to discover that it is the wrong one and its angry driver calls for police, with Harley and Nancy Sue immediately taking off. On the golf course, Jake arrives to inform R.J. of the latest situation and, while heading home, they hear about a police chase on the radio involving a '57 Chevy and assume it is Harley. State troopers join in on the chase and set up a roadblock, but Harley evades it and the Corvette instead crashes into it. R. J. and Jake, followed by Volpone and hired hit man Carl, soon pick up the chase and set up a trap for Harley.On a dirt road, Jake, at gunpoint, stops Harley's car, but Carl shoots R. J., who is uninjured when the bullet strikes his wallet. Harley, Nancy Sue, and R. J. take off in his station wagon, leaving Jake behind. Harley also slashes the tires on Volpone's car, but he and Carl flag down a passing vehicle and orders the driver to exchange his tires for their car. Meanwhile, R. J. helps Harley and Nancy Sue locate the Honey Dew truck parked at a gas station. They take the truck and leave its driver, Scooter, to drive the station wagon away. Volpone and Carl eventually catch up to the truck and begin shooting. Nancy Sue take the wheel and Harley climbs on top, where he launches flaming bottles of whiskey at them. Volpone eventually loses control and the car crashes off a bridge into the river.When Nancy Sue pulls over to help Harley, a frantic R. J. drives off in the truck, leaving them stranded. However, the Carpenters pass by in their pickup truck and give Harley and Nancy Sue a ride back to their still. They drive past the Honey Dew truck parked at the shoulder with R. J. being arrested. Nancy Sue begs Harley to give up bootlegging and suggests that she sells her share of the bottling plant and set him up in a garage as a mechanic, but Harley laughs it off and begins to make plans with the Carpenters to get back to the whiskey business.