Bret, styrene is the preferred material for vacuforming "solid" (opaque) pieces, mostly because of it's ease of assembly. Acetate if preferred for the "clear" parts as you noted because of it's clarity and scratch resistance - but it resists the solvent cements used with styrene so it is best to avoid when fabricating structural components since strong bonds are harder to achieve.
If you are near a metropolitan area, look for "plastic suppliers". These folks carry a wide range of different plastics in many forms, and although a 4 x 8 foot piece of sheet may not be what you need, the unit cost is low and they may have "cutoff" scraps that they can 'peddle' to you.
Also, be on the look out for material from other sources. Much of the "bubble" packaging used for retail goods (which is mostly created using vacuforming techniques, after all) are useful sources that can be re-purposed, depending on the sizes needed. Although I know #6 recycle coded plastic is styrene, I'm not sure what acetate is coded, if at all. Experimentation is the key in any case.
Good luck and keep the discussion going as you learn things!
Regards, Robert Beach