https://rapidotrains.com/products/ho-scale/model-vehicles/ho-scale-chevrolet-caprice-impala
Bring out the mid-60s Impala next! Or the 67-72 C/K pickups (including the Blazer)!
Interesting but way to new for my layout.
Sheldon
Agreed. It seems in the last few years HO scale vehicles for the 1920’s and 1930’s have dried up.
I have sort of the opposite issue, as I model near contemporary times, so a pre-1990 Chevy Impala would be 30 years or so old for my module, so not that common - and since I already have a CMW 1978 Impala (weathered and rusted a bit around the edges, with a bumper sticker or two) that’s good enough for me.
Note, I checked and the Chevy Impala went Jelly Bean aero design in the 1990 model year, and the Chevy Caprice went Jelly Bean in the1991 model year, so those filling auto-racks (I don’t think there were that many open top racks by 1990 anwyay, let alone ones without side panel protection) or car dealships might want to keep that mind, and opt for the Busch Caprice instead…
Hey!
I had a 1977 Caprice 2 door. It served us well for many years. Then one day I was replacing the rear shocks (when I could still do such things) and the wrench slipped off of the lower mounting bolts. No big deal, except that the wrench went right through the adjacent frame member! It left a gaping hole! There was practically nothing left of the rear frame members. Imagine if we had been rear ended!!! It went to the scrap yard a few days later.
[#offtopic]
My bad!
Dave
Unfortunately, those are a hair too new for me as well. I’d need late 60s to 1979 for my era…
Give them time, they have to start somewhere. Then fill in the holes.
I’m reading that these were first produced in 1979 and likely on the rails then. You know how a model year usually lags behind the actual taking to dealers, or at least it used to.
Add to that I’m reading that the bodies were same as some as early as 1977 and it’s mainly the lights or end details that were updated as the model year went forward. I model mainly 1977-1983 so I’m thinking these WILL work for me, even for 1979 on open auto racks.
That body style was introduced for the 77 model year, they appeared on dealer lots in September of 1976, and the basic body was used until the end of the 1990 models.
The same platform and core body was also used for various Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile models during those same years.
The economy was soft, the car companies were up against regulations they could not meet, so the cars changed very little in that time.
I had one version, a 1982 Buick LaSabre wagon.
I remember these cars very well…
Sheldon
Good news. I’ve one of their New Look Buses on my layout and now looking forward to adding a couple of those Caprices. Thanks, Peter
“So, ya’ got a permit to have that camera on railway property, eh?”
CN_Chevy_1979 by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Same here. I might get a couple anyway though.
Joe
The only problem is it would take $375 to fill just one Autorack. We need a better solution and more variety on Autoracks.
Rick Jesionowski
Closed autoracks. Then it doesn’t matter which year car it “carries”.
I model the early 50’s, when most cars were still shipped in 50’ box cars…
And I will have an auto assembly plant on the layout.
I do a have few of the experimental Evans 50’ open 6 car racks, and they are fitted with inexpensive generic “Scenemaster” 50’s sedans from LifeLike (now Walthers).
The effect is rather good, I will try to put up a photo.
Sheldon
Late '60s early '70s that is the market I’d be interested in shipping vehicals by rail. Loaded east, emptys west.
Having 20+ open auto racks, I have learned real quick to load more bi-levels (14) then tri-levels (5) in a train. It may take me a year (maybe three train shows and my two LHSs) to get a couple full loads of the same year make/model or a same year make but different models (8 to 15 on a bi-level and 15 to 18 on a tri-level).
I am sure Rapido will market something later that will catch my eye.
Yeah, we want Baby from Supernatural !
http://nerdist20.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Supernatural-Impala-1-11092015.jpg
And what are the Winchesters chasing on your layout…
I owned that cars cousin, built on the same platform and sharing lots of body parts, I had a 1968 Pontiac Ventura 4 door sport sedan with the Firebird 400 cid engine.
Room for 8 and pass anything but a gas station…
Sheldon
At $25 a pop these are as overpriced as the rest of their stuff! None of their autos (or anything else) will be appearing on my layout, regardless of what they produce!