Hall Monitor / Harold's Bar Mitzvah - S2-E15
Continuity mistake: Harold's Bar Mitzvah: In the beginning, when Stinky asks Harold if he wants to play stickball, there is no wristband on his arm. Harold says he has to go do his lessons, and in the next shot, a wristband appears on Stinky's arm, then disappears. Later on, when Harold comes out of the synagogue, his wristbands are back on his arms. (00:12:03)
Full Moon / Student Teacher - S4-E1
Continuity mistake: Full Moon: Throughout the episode, Harold's eyes change from yellow to white during a few consecutive shots, as well as mid-shot.
Full Moon / Student Teacher - S4-E1
Continuity mistake: Full Moon: When Arnold leaves the school at the beginning, he is carrying a green book. A few seconds later, the rectangle on the cover changes to white, then back to green. (00:03:14)
Full Moon / Student Teacher - S4-E1
Continuity mistake: Full Moon: When Principal Wartz tells Arnold to see him every day after school for the next four weeks, the words on his office door are yellow. About a second later, they change to red, then back to yellow. (00:02:57)
Full Moon / Student Teacher - S4-E1
Revealing mistake: Full Moon: When Principal Wartz tells Arnold to name the boys who exposed themselves, as Arnold says, "I can't do that, Principal Wartz," his mouth briefly disappears. (00:02:42)
Dinner for Four / Phoebe Skips - S4-E5
Other mistake: Dinner for Four: When Arnold and Lila are talking to each other in the beginning, Lila says that she hopes to become a famous ballerina one day if she practices hard enough. In this shot, the stripe on her shirt is incorrectly layered over her gold button. (00:01:26)
Full Moon / Student Teacher - S4-E1
Other mistake: Full Moon: When Arnold tells Sid, Stinky, and Harold that he was given four weeks' detention, Harold tells him to not rat on them. Arnold says he won't tell, and when he walks away, his hair passes right through Sid's head. (00:03:30)
Tour de Pond / Teachers Strike - S2-E18
Continuity mistake: Tour de Pond: When Rex's grandfather walks up to Arnold's Grandpa at the end, his badge has eight squares on it, but in the next shot, it changes to four stripes. (00:11:20)
Tour de Pond / Teachers Strike - S2-E18
Continuity mistake: Tour de Pond: When Rex notices that Arnold's boat is winning and starts running, the red and yellow squares on his grandfather's badge change to red and black. (00:10:18)
Tour de Pond / Teachers Strike - S2-E18
Other mistake: Tour de Pond: When Arnold, Gerald, and Grandpa are first shown at the Tour de Pond race, their ship is not sitting on the sidewalk, but rather on the edge of it, which makes it look like it’s floating in mid-air. (00:05:02)
Tour de Pond / Teachers Strike - S2-E18
Continuity mistake: Tour de Pond: When Gerald puts the boat made out of the block of wood in the fish tank, the sail is pointing towards the right, but when the boat sinks, it's pointing towards the left. (00:02:18)
Tour de Pond / Teachers Strike - S2-E18
Continuity mistake: Tour de Pond: When Arnold makes a boat out of a block of wood, there is a blue cup on the newspapers with gray scissors and another orange object in it. In the next shot, the cup becomes green, and the scissors and other object become pink. As the scene continues, they change colours a few more times. The pencils also become the same colour as the newspapers. (00:02:11 - 00:03:49)
Simmons' Documentary / Big Bob's Crisis - S5-E20
Continuity mistake: Simmons' Documentary: Rhonda wears a black top and red skirt on the day of the documentary, but in one shot, she is wearing her regular outfit. She is also wearing her regular outfit in one shot when the class is watching the documentary. (00:06:12 - 00:11:16)
Simmons' Documentary / Big Bob's Crisis - S5-E20
Revealing mistake: Simmons' Documentary: When Phoebe asks Mr. Simmons, "If we're required to do book reports, do we need to choose a book?", her mouth disappears twice. This is easier to see in slow motion, but it's still visible at normal speed. (00:04:27)
Simmons' Documentary / Big Bob's Crisis - S5-E20
Continuity mistake: Simmons' Documentary: When Mr. Simmons explains the documentary and the kids leave the classroom, Arnold is holding a purple book. In the next shot, it changes direction while in his hand. (00:01:50)
Back to School / Egg Story - S4-E8
Continuity mistake: Egg Story: When Arnold shows the little chick to the class, Phoebe is sitting behind Harold, but she is suddenly standing in the next shot. (00:22:30)
Back to School / Egg Story - S4-E8
Other mistake: Egg Story: When Arnold tells Helga, "I know you don't like me, and frankly, you're not my favorite person either," his mouth disappears twice. (00:14:51)
Weird Cousin / Baby Oskar - S4-E11
Continuity mistake: Weird Cousin: When Lila tells Arnold, "Going to a movie together sounds kind of like a date," the way she holds her book changes between shots. (00:01:41)
Grandpa's Sister / Synchronized Swimming - S4-E12
Other mistake: Synchronized Swimming: When the boys take off their jackets during the swimming tournament, Arnold's jacket is floating in mid-air, and the left side of Eugene's jacket is also in mid-air. (00:20:45)
Grandpa's Sister / Synchronized Swimming - S4-E12
Continuity mistake: Synchronized Swimming: During the swimming tournament, the boys take off their jackets beside the pool. When the boys jump in the pool, they disappear. (00:20:55)
Answer: The show is based in present day times. Plus most cars aren't old fashtioned, I recall seeing a limo and not to mention a cherry picker, etc.