The final scene, on Bissonette's "orange ranch", was filmed at the house and property W.C. Fields was living in at the time of the filming. For his entire life, Fields rented living quarters, adamantly refusing to buy a house or land.
The $5,000 that Harold pays for the "orange grove" in California would be equal to $89,000 in 2015.
The car that Fields' family leaves in at the end of the film is a 1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 41, recognized by the headlamps that "grow" out of the front fenders. This styling characteristic was patented exclusively by Pierce-Arrow until almost 1940.
One of David Lynch's favorite movies.