Tim Watson
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 09:51 AM |
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Raw Striker
Hi all,
I’m new to this site, and to kit cars, although not to Sevens. I’ve been researching into which to buy and think I’ve decided on a Raw Striker. As
much as I’d like to build it myself, I don’t have the mechanical knowledge to build one myself, so it would be a factory build.
Engine-wise, I discussed the possibility of a 2.0 Duratec, but now coming round to the idea of the 20v 4AGE unit as it seems reliable and fine for
supercharging later on if I’m after more power.
The other reason for that engine is it’s much cheaper then the Duratec and would enable me to spend my £££ on other goodies. So with that in mind,
what are the desirables to spec when building a new car? I guess the idea is to get the fundamentals right first time and then be able to upgrade at a
lesser cost.
Are there any Striker owners round East Yorkshire?
Thanks in advance,
Tim
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tomgregory2000
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 09:53 AM |
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Good tyres, R888!!
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55ant
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 10:28 AM |
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hi tim, welcome to the site. im a big fan oft he striker, i have been in one with the toyota engine and it was very very quick. all i would say is its
not all about power, just mainly!
away from cars, now cycling and building TT bikes
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bi22le
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 11:15 AM |
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Hi tim and welcome to the mad house!
I am the recently proud owner of a Raw Striker with a 20V 4age engine.
I have little experience with kit cars before now (this is my second in a year, dont asked what happened to the first one!!) so im getting use to it
still.
The engine seems very capable and drivable with the chassis. Althought there are some things to consider with the Striker:
Its very small! One of if not the smallest cars about. The previous owner (i did not build it) was tall but slim. Try and sit in one if you can
becasue if you have more than a size 10 foot your feet wont be comfortable.
The hand brake is in a funny position which im not keen on. In my eyes the worst thing about a Striker!
There are two different types of 20V a black top and a silver top. I have a Black top engine which is fine and great if I want to do minor tuning. The
silver top is best for S\C.
Both Raw and Omex are in the west country. Its always good to be near to the suppliers (im in SE London but hey ho!)
U2U me if you have questions or want photos of things.
Im doing a track day this weekend so a vid is coming soon!!
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
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StrikerChris
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 12:41 PM |
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good choice!but its true what he ^ says.it is small,and i've got the wider tunnel in mine which leaves almost no room for passengers feet,and
with the turbo down there they get bloody hot too!and a full cage makes entry and exit far from dignified!
as for the handbrake i just put the one out of my sx on top of the tunnel,seemed far better than raw's solution and sure there's plenty
more ways round it.talk to mel if he's still there,see what he can suggest.
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Tim Watson
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 posted on 12/5/10 at 01:08 PM |
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Thanks guys.
I didn't mention, I went over to Wakefield yesterday and sat in one - and loved it. The fact it was so small was one o the best things about it!
I'm 5'7" with size 8 feet so no problems there.
A couple of things that have occurred to me: Should I go for the standard type 9 gearbox? I've read that at higher outputs it could be too
stressed. Plus, the car i sat in had the most lovely Quaife unit, with a an ultra short throw and snickety feel. I plan to use it predominantly on the
road, and it may be my only car, so the noise of straight cut gears might get a bit weary. And to have it geared for over 130mph top speed might be
pointless.
Is there any advantage in using new suspension uprights over the Sierra ones? Or am I just being an old woman regarding the last point?
Sorry for the newbie questions
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 01:08 PM |
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Thanks guys.
I didn't mention, I went over to Wakefield yesterday and sat in one - and loved it. The fact it was so small was one o the best things about it!
I'm 5'7" with size 8 feet so no problems there.
A couple of things that have occurred to me: Should I go for the standard type 9 gearbox? I've read that at higher outputs it could be too
stressed. Plus, the car i sat in had the most lovely Quaife unit, with a an ultra short throw and snickety feel. I plan to use it predominantly on the
road, and it may be my only car, so the noise of straight cut gears might get a bit weary. And to have it geared for over 130mph top speed might be
pointless.
Is there any advantage in using new suspension uprights over the Sierra ones? Or am I just being an old woman regarding the last point?
Sorry for the newbie questions
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StrikerChris
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 01:55 PM |
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"your only car" brave man,i admire your courage,and really wouldn't worry about straight cut gears making you weary!although its one
of the best riding cars out there the rest of it makes you weary!concentration required on a mildly moist road is unbelievable,never mind wet!not
wanting to put you off but it'll be a baptism of fire for you if your not warned!i managed to get hold of some costina front uprights for mine
which are half the weight of sierra ones,but if you're budget stretches the less unsprung weight the better,and there's some sexy hubs out
there!spend it on the corners before the lump in the middle.
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 02:28 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by StrikerChris
The concentration required on a mildly moist road is unbelievable,never mind wet!not wanting to put you off but it'll be a baptism of fire for
you if your not warned!
...
spend it on the corners before the lump in the middle.
Haha i bet it is with 2 litres and a turbocharger! But yeah, I think the stock 145bhp of the silvertop 20v should be more than enough to learn the
ropes in - esp in wet weather. I've spent quite a few hours behind the wheel of a Caterham, including in the wet, so i know what you mean.
Tim
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StrikerChris
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 03:09 PM |
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sorry wasn't trying to teach how to suck eggs!just the first time my car hit the road it was damp,and bloody scary!spinning up in 5th out of a 30
zone at all sorts of interesting angles!thought we'd made a major mistake,but in the dry its nothing short of a catapult.toyota motor will be
bloody quick too!always makes me smile when the things parked up and you see how small they are...
 
Rescued attachment DSC00436-001.jpg
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progers
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 04:24 PM |
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Why not buy a "pre-loved" example and save yourself a pot of cash? You can then spend the rest on trackdays/loose women/beer/supercharger
upgrade etc. (delete as appropriate). Bet you could get a really nice one around 10K
Cheers
Paul
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 04:26 PM |
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Haha I like it
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TimC
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 04:33 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
Both Raw and Omex are in the west country.
Hereford is NOT the 'West Country.' Yes, they still make cider there but it's the South Midlands if you want to catagorise it!
I was brought up in 'ereford so speak with some knowledge.
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 05:17 PM |
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("I like it" refers to pic)
Paul, I am looking on a daily basis but there don't appear to be any for sale. The point's not lost on me that I should buy a second hand
one, find out what I like and don't like, and then in time, spec a new one if funds allow, but it doesn't look like I have that luxury.
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eddie99
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 06:11 PM |
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Are you stuck on Strikers? I know there are lots of Mk's and the likes on pistonheads. Extremely good time to buy as prices are so stupidly
cheap.
http://www.elitemotorsporteng.co.uk/
Twitter: @Elitemotoreng
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elite-Motorsport-Engineering/153409081394323
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Tim Watson
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 posted on 12/5/10 at 06:45 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
Are you stuck on Strikers?
Well sort of, yes.
I've been doing a lot of research anyway, looking at the perceived pros and cons of each kit car. There's lots of info out there on forums
etc cos the "which kit shall i go for?" thread comes up a lot. From that, I liked the sound of the Striker so went to see one in the flesh
(and in the same showroom as lots of other kit cars, which was handy). I liked it even more once i was sitting in it at the controls. What I
didn't do was drive one.
I'm going to bide my time, see what comes up in the classifieds, and I'm in no huge rush.
Thanks for all the advice so far everyone.
Tim
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rost
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 08:44 PM |
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Me and my dad have built a 20V Striker.
The 155-160hp it puts out with a Omex and bigger exhaust is more than enough at first. I'm not going to claim that the chassis is any better
than say a MK one, I've never driven another seven (except my Dutton, but that doesn't really count ) but it really gives a lot of
confidence and I think it's an easy car to go very very very fast with.
Picture of me taking it for a spin mid winter.
We have the new scuttle and wind deflector, of which I think looks a lot better. I don't really miss the windscreen.
Charlie don't surf!
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JimSpencer
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| posted on 12/5/10 at 09:26 PM |
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Hi
Running a striker with the 4AGE phase 3 16v in it.
Just my thoughts having learnt by experience:-
Definatly upgrade the box - 'BGH heavy duty long first' I can recommend, but spend the £30 odd quid on a Quaife gearlever for it - makes a
huge difference to any type 9 box.
Gearing;- I would think around a 4.1:1 would be about in the ballpark, as that'll give you a realistic crusing speed, you can go lower (4.4 /
4.7) and if you're going to track it a lot that's fine but motorways at a steady 5k revs are a pain. Or as mentioned the Caterham 6sp box
is very good indeed, have driven a car with one fitted and it was excellent but it's pricey!
Only consider 13" rims - but if it's a daily driver don't go too mad on ultra high performance tyres, ensure they've got a
good wet weather tread, or have a summer and winter set and get the most out of it
Ensure you have padded seats.
Do not listen to the 'bullet hard springs brigade', the striker doesn't need them, make it a bit more compliant and you'll
find it much more useable.
Do go for anti-roll bar at the front though.
If you buy secondhand have it properly set up by somebody who knows what they're doing and has the right kit - makes a HUGE difference.
With the exception of the gearing (as the 4age revs so high) you could probably apply that to any CEC with a type9 in it though!
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 13/5/10 at 11:24 AM |
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There was a Striker North dealer in Wakefield so assuming they are still there do a search.
Best setup I had for track was a BGH E7 box with a 4.44:1 7" diff. For more road use then a standard 3.9:1 7" diff was fine.
Richard at OMEX has several Strikers and was going to sell a rolling chassis. Maybe speak to Mel at RAW as they have a good relationship with OMEX and
could possibly arange something.
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 13/5/10 at 03:46 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JimSpencer
spend the £30 odd quid on a Quaife gearlever for it - makes a huge difference to any type 9 box.
Thanks guys. What difference would a quaife gearlever make? Is it to provide that ultra-short throw, clickety gearchange?
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JimSpencer
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| posted on 13/5/10 at 06:48 PM |
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Hi
Yup you've summed it up, had it described to me thus:-
"You know how the stock ford thing is like stirring porridge? Well this is like a bolt action rifle"
And he was right.
In all seriousness one of the best, simple, performance mods I've done.
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Tim Watson
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| posted on 13/5/10 at 08:00 PM |
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The Striker I went to see the other day had the very same thing. Not being clued up, I didn't know that was just down to the gearlever
mechanism.
But wow it's so tactile and satisfying!
Cheers Jim
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