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Old 03-21-2016, 08:38 PM   #33
lwcamp
 
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: The plutonium rich regions of Washington State
Default Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae

I haven't read all the other replies yet, so these are still undiluted by other opinions ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Cars

3) What are some popular four-wheel drive vehicles within a comfortable middle-class budget in the period?

4) What are the best economy vehicles made in the 1970s and 1980s to use in the northwest part of Aroostook County, Maine, assuming that the ability to drive in snow and over bad roads is sometimes required?
Toyota tercel. My family had a few of these when I was a teenager in the '80's. They were tough, rugged, reliable, relatively compact (but wagons, so you could fit a lot in), and did well in snow and ice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Guns

6) What are some 1980s hunting rifle brands and models that mark the owner as having good taste, some degree of knowledge and enough means to indulge when it comes to hobbies?
Weatherby Mark V? Weatherby makes nice hunting rifles that are not exactly cheap.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Gadgets

9) What are nice complicated 80s gadgets for a young female FBI agent from California to own in order to characterise her as 'modern', 'rich' and lacking in real-world experience?
--9a) I'd like some sort of bizarre 80s multitool, preferably with electric components and far too big for the intended purpose, but including a lot of nifty things that a geek might enjoy having on them at all times. It can be something for a purse, not a pocket, if necessary.
--9b) Would there be any consumer electronics that might be given to a young woman leaving home to become an FBI agent (or received as gifts after leaving, as her parents continue to treat her warmly, indulge her and wait for her 'rebellious phase' to blow over)?
[She's from a very rich family, her father is the founder/CEO of a fast-growing defence contractor who makes guidance chips for missiles and she had every adventage growing up. She is a total wunderkind, baby ballerina, music recitals, gymnastics and straight As in everything, but no time for friends or normal socialisation, only organised extra-curricular activities. Computer Science degree from Stanford. Is now suffering from late-onset teen rebellion which is expressed on one hand through seeking a 'lowly' government job and on the other, through her trying to develop a 'hip', 'street' demeanour, mostly from MTV.]
Walkman. Plays cassette tapes, of course.

Personal computer, either IBM or Apple. Don't forget the 5 1/2" floppies, holding a whole 1.2 MB!

Boom box. Also for tape cassettes.

Atari.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
11) How are records of things like criminal convictions, arrests and gun ownership likely to be stored in Maine at the end of 1988? Paper? Microfiche? Early computers?
--11a) How long does it take for someone at the Maine State Police to look up what guns are registered to a certain individual in the state? What about criminal records?
Guns in the U.S.A. are not registered. The closest would be concealed carry permits.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Consumer Goods

12) What is the most popular soft drink in northern Maine at this time?
--12a) Are the PCs more likely to find Coke or Pepsi for sale in diners and gas stations?
Coke and Pepsi. Either/or. 1985 was the time of the whole New Coke debacle, so have some fun with that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
13) Are there any types of candy, delicacies, soft drink, bubblegum, cigarettes or other consumer goods that are characteric of 1980s America,
Hershey chocolate? Starburst? Skittles? You've got the whole Reese's Pieces/E.T. connection thing from 1982.

Luke
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