So where are the 70s/80s cars?

[NeMo]

Anyone know why Oxford or for that matter anyone else seem not to produce any 70s/80s cars in N scale? Are Oxford right to think Daimlers and ice cream vans will sell better than Cortinas, Capris and Cavaliers?

How do the rest of you get around this problem when populating the roads on your layouts?

Cheers, NeMo

[joe cassidy]

How about a layout in the middle of nowhere like Stoke Bank ?

Best regards,


Joe Cassidy

[NeMo]

How about a layout in the middle of nowhere like Stoke Bank ?

One option, certainly! 

Or else somewhere that's having a vintage car rally!

Cheers, NeMo

[Derwentbob]

The Model  Scene car pack contains a Capri, a Porsche 911 and an Audi 100, all suitable for mid 70s onwards. They need a bit of fettling and a coat of paint but they look great with a bit of care.

[Yet_Another]

I think Oxford are bringing out a bronze mk3 cortina - someone is, anyway. It's on my list

[gc4946]

My 70s/80s layout, Fisherlea, has very few cars so far.

New cars were still expensive, relative to wages, to buy in the 70s so I included some models of 60s cars which are available through Oxford Diecast and Scenecraft.

Another source of cars - albeit to 1:160 scale, is the German manufacturer, Wiking, they have some 70s cars, mostly German makes, but I only bought a few because there weren't too many foreign-made cars on the roads here then.

Some 70s design Opel model cars (Opel's the German brand of General Motors, known as Vauxhall over here), are available if you are prepared to overlook the fact they're left hand drive.

[woodbury22uk]

Anyone know why Oxford or for that matter anyone else seem not to produce any 70s/80s cars in N scale? Are Oxford right to think Daimlers and ice cream vans will sell better than Cortinas, Capris and Cavaliers?

How do the rest of you get around this problem when populating the roads on your layouts?

Cheers, NeMo

I think they are waiting for someone to make a Motorail Carflat or an RTR cartic or a British gauge SNAV (1/160 versions already available).

http://mftrain.com/en/vagones-portacoches-s4

[Cooper]

There are a few useful items here with a bit of work.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/rail-n-scale?section=1%3A148&s=0

[gc4946]

My 70s/80s layout, Fisherlea, has very few cars so far.

New cars were still expensive, relative to wages, to buy in the 70s so I included some models of 60s cars which are available through Oxford Diecast and Scenecraft.

Another source of cars - albeit to 1:160 scale, is the German manufacturer, Wiking, they have some 70s cars, mostly German makes, but I only bought a few because there weren't too many foreign-made cars on the roads here then.

Some 70s design Opel model cars (Opel's the German brand of General Motors, known as Vauxhall over here), are available if you are prepared to overlook the fact they're left hand drive.

This is my 70s/80s car collection:

From top to bottom:
Four Scenecraft resin cars;
Three Model Scene cars;
Four Wiking cars;
One Eko (Spanish) car

At one time I owned a lot more Model Scene cars because they were bought as cheap job lots, however realised that there weren't many Audis, Porsches or Capris on the roads even in the 70s and 80s so thinned these down to one of each make!

[johnlambert]

Some Shapeways 3D printed cars suitable for the 1970s or '80s (work in progress).  Not cheap but there is a good selection and they come in 1:148 scale.

In plastic filler primer...






...then in Tamiya model primer






With a blue DMU

[NeMo]

Some Shapeways 3D printed cars suitable for the 1970s or '80s (work in progress).  Not cheap but there is a good selection and they come in 1:148 scale.

These look great, and your modelmaking is fantastic. But you're right -- not cheap! Seem to be 2-3 times the cost of the Oxford ones, and unpainted and unglazed to boot. So probably not an option for me. Not the cost so much as the fact I'm unlikely to do them justice.

Cheers, NeMo

[johnlambert]

Some Shapeways 3D printed cars suitable for the 1970s or '80s (work in progress).  Not cheap but there is a good selection and they come in 1:148 scale.

These look great, and your modelmaking is fantastic. But you're right -- not cheap! Seem to be 2-3 times the cost of the Oxford ones, and unpainted and unglazed to boot. So probably not an option for me. Not the cost so much as the fact I'm unlikely to do them justice.

Cheers, NeMo

Thanks for the compliment on my model making.  The cars are quite fiddly, painting isn't too bad (Halfords aerosol cans for the primer) but you need to be careful and use fine abrasive paper (800 or 1200 wet and dry) when rubbing down between coats. 

I'm lucky that I enjoy building stuff like this.

[The Cuckoo]

Graham Farish did a Capri a few years ago.

379-908 Graham Farish Car - Capri

[javlinfaw7]

R Parker do three nice transits short and long wheel base petrol models and a deisel ambulance

[Rabbitaway]

There are some Tomytec ones that can be used