What's wrong with this picture?

[notabob]

The year is 1991-1998(ish). It's summer. You are on the main drag of a small quiet Alberta town. At first glance things look pretty typical. A grain elevator off in the distance. A funky water tower rises up on the far end of town. The last hopper of a lumbering grain train has just cleared the grade crossing a bit down the way, the gates swing up, the incessant dinging of the bell finally stops, and you can hear again. The show over, you turn away fromthe tracks and glance down the street. The ice cream shop a block or so down the street is calling your name - it's a hot day and a couple of scoops of Moose Tracks would sure hit the spot right about now. But as you start walking towards the shop, something seems... not quite right with the picture all of the sudden. You can't quite place it, but something is just a bit off. And finally it hits you. This little town's residents sure have a unique taste in vehicles. Almost like they're all stuck in a time warp. Because with the exception of that shiny new Crown Vic RCMP Cruiser parked by the train station, everywhere you look it's either an old muscle car, a shiny freshly-restored antique, or a 1978 Impala. Not a Tempo or a Grand Am in sight. No beat up F-150s. Heck, you'd even welcome the sight of a dinky Chevette right about now, but no such
luck...

So what does this all have to do with model railroading you ask? Well, unless someone has an idea of where all the 1980s & 1990s HO cars seem to have disappeared off to - the eerie feeling of unease and time warp-iness will inevitably grip the hearts of every visitor to the fictional town of Highwood, AB. I, for one, sure wouldn't want that to happen. So if any of you fine folks out there can suggest where I could find a decent (or even less than decent) selection of 80s-90s era HO cars without getting scalped - the fine folks in Highwood, AB would sure appreciate it. As would I. Cheers!

 

[Iron Horseman]

Well, unless someone has an idea of where all the 1980s & 1990s HO cars seem to have disappeared off to

1990s cars are easy. Just get a jolly rancher candy. knock two opposite corners off of it. Suck on it for a while to round the edges and TA-DA a 1990s looking car.

One can do pretty much the same thing for a modern "SUV". Don't even know why they call them SUVs as there isn't much sport or utility left in any of them. Soccer mom station wagons with all wheel drive is what they have evolved to.

 

[DakotaLove39]

1990s cars are easy. Just get a jolly rancher candy. knock two opposite corners off of it. Suck on it for a while to round the edges and TA-DA a 1990s looking car.

One can do pretty much the same thing for a modern "SUV". Don't even know why they call them SUVs as there isn't much sport or utility left in any of them. Soccer mom station wagons with all wheel drive is what they have evolved to.

Ah, the old Broncos, K10 Blazers and Jimmys.. one could argue an S-10 Blazer also (with a 350 of course..)

To the OP, I think sometimes this is something you can't avoid. I still sometimes catch 50's-looking trucks sitting on a layout meant to be in 2005

 

[LoudMusic]

Q: What's wrong with this picture?

A: You forgot to post the picture?

 

[Rico]

There's only a handfull, very small handfull, of 80's buggies out there.
Fresh Cherries has a few and Trident come to mind. I believe there are a couple more.
I make do with late 70's cars and a few 90's that snuck into the picture somehow.

None the less, nothing note worthy really came out of the 80's and the last great cars or trucks were the late 70's.

 

[railfan]

Anything that interups the moosetracks ice cream train of thought could be pretty serious.....I guess.

 

[IronBeltKen]

3-D printing might be a practical option in the near future..?

 

[WaltP]

Maybe there's an HO version of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NScaleVehicleAssociation/

 

[kbkchooch]

1990s cars are easy. Just get a jolly rancher candy. knock two opposite corners off of it. Suck on it for a while to round the edges and TA-DA a 1990s looking car.

One can do pretty much the same thing for a modern "SUV". Don't even know why they call them SUVs as there isn't much sport or utility left in any of them. Soccer mom station wagons with all wheel drive is what they have evolved to.

Old bumper sticker on my 88 Ford truck:
4x4's go where they want. SUV's go to the mall!

Late model trucks are easy,,,look at Boley
Later model cars, not so much, but the Jolly Rancher Idea is worth exploring!
OR
You could alway use the excuse that you small towns resident's just don't have any dealers nearby, but Frank & Earl down at the fillin station can fix ANYTHING!