Strakers Car

[Darren Robertson]

Thanks Mate! I will be back soon!

Sean, you are allowing an awful lot of people to live their dream through you and its a fine, fine thing that you are doing.....utmost admiration and respect for you. Incredible work!

[Geoff Ellis]

Originally Posted by Captain Sci-Fi

Hi Darren,

Yes I did but I am intending to break this into a different thread so we stay (more or less) on topic

You'll get your Eagle fix, I promise....

Thank-you for what you're doing with this thread (and any spin-offs) and many thanks to Sean for providing information and images while obviously being very busy.

[filmsean@btinternet.com]

Originally Posted by Geoff Ellis

Thank-you for what you're doing with this thread (and any spin-offs) and many thanks to Sean for providing information and images while obviously being very busy.

very kind, thanks guys

[filmsean@btinternet.com]

Originally Posted by Darren Robertson

Thanks Mate! I will be back soon!

Sean, you are allowing an awful lot of people to live their dream through you and its a fine, fine thing that you are doing.....utmost admiration and respect for you. Incredible work!

thank you for those kind words

[tibbington]

I watched Ufo for the first time today loved strakers car pulling up to harlington straker film studios in the opening sequence
a true classic series ufo
who owns the car at the moment

[tibbington]

Originally Posted by Captain Sci-Fi

Look what popped into my inbox earlier today. Sean is also a huge Eagle Nut, check these babies out, maybe I'll push these into their own thread in the future.

It is mighty impressive to tell me that you have three Eagles and the baby of the collection is a 44" Studio scale model...!

Hi Bernie,

The eagle you see on the bench under the plastic is a 66 inch version, all made in brass with aluminium engines, here is a photo with another smaller 44 inch version, so you can make the comparison. The other eagle in the workshop, minus beak is my 88 inch version. I do have the beak, pod and side pods

Regards

Sean

You better tell darren robertson that his eagle is no longer the biggest

[sdraaa]

I was watching episode 8 (A question of priorities) last night on TV (they are broadcasting UFO on Fox Retro on SKY Television here in Italy) and i spent a lil more time watching the interiors of the car etc.

Will you try to replicate the interiors as well?

I think the steering wheel is well worth a replica... it is very cool.

Also the center dash and middle tunnel is somehow important to be preserved in their "clean" style.

Did you find production pics of the interiors/dash/etc. or you got just the (scary) ones from the wreckage??

Mind to share them with us?

Thx!

[filmsean@btinternet.com]

Originally Posted by sdraaa

I was watching episode 8 (A question of priorities) last night on TV (they are broadcasting UFO on Fox Retro on SKY Television here in Italy) and i spent a lil more time watching the interiors of the car etc.

Will you try to replicate the interiors as well?

I think the steering wheel is well worth a replica... it is very cool.

Also the center dash and middle tunnel is somehow important to be preserved in their "clean" style.

Did you find production pics of the interiors/dash/etc. or you got just the (scary) ones from the wreckage??

Mind to share them with us?

Thx!

Hi, the interior will not be replicated, derek meddings told me that it was a Fxxxxxing pig to drive, the centre console was ludicrously high, when atempting to change gear your elbow was almost airbourne, not to mention that the gear stick was sawn in half and buried in a hole in the console which made changing gear bloddy dangerous to say the least.
The interior was awful, it was clear that the money was spent on the exterior and why not. As i have said many times on the firum, i'm building a road going car not a prop. That interior would not be road legal and i am building this car to drive it, the interior will have an essence of the original and the centre console will be there but it will be slimmed down and the interior more fitting to the exterior with all mod cons. If someone wants me to build them the car exactly as is then I will but it will not be street legal.

hope this helps.

[c.scarlet]

Hi Sean,
I'm curious about how the mainframe, to hold the fiberglass body, will look like and how you will support this massive gull-wing doors.
Looking forward... :-)

[filmsean@btinternet.com]

Originally Posted by c.scarlet

Hi Sean,
I'm curious about how the mainframe, to hold the fiberglass body, will look like and how you will support this massive gull-wing doors.
Looking forward... :-)

Hi,
as I have explained, the fibreglass body will be attached to an existing Jaguar xj6, the jaguar body will be removed and the straker body attached, there will be a tubular metal cage built inside to support the body, the gull wing doors will be quite lightweight and have a smaller metal skeleton inside to support it and to have the gas struts attached to open and close them. its the same system used on the delorean.

Hope this helps

regards

Sean

[sdraaa]

Originally Posted by filmsean@btinternet.com

That interior would not be road legal and i am building this car to drive it, the interior will have an essence of the original and the centre console will be there but it will be slimmed down and the interior more fitting to the exterior with all mod cons.

Could you post a picture of how the dash/interiors on the "donor" car looks like (or just post a link to some pics on the web)?

It would be nice if we could all contribute on design ideas for the interiors...

Jaguar xj6 from the past like this?

[SteveDix]

Originally Posted by filmsean@btinternet.com

not to mention that the gear stick was sawn in half and buried in a hole in the console which made changing gear bloddy dangerous to say the least.

The gearchange would require very exact changes and considerable experience of the car. Cutting the stick reduces the "throw" of the lever, and there was a big rubber washer on the stick which softens feel of the change.

I cut down the stick on my Striker, which basically has the same Ford engine/gearbox originally fitted to the Doppelgänger cars. The travel is very small, making for very fast gearchanges, but it takes some getting used to, as it lacks that rubber washer. On such a small car, (Lotus 7 style) it falls to hand, and the tunnel supports your left arm.

In such a huge console, it must have been terrifying!

[andersonitis]

I want first dibs on a ride round the block when your cars ready

[andersonitis]

You better invest in some new clobber
As your building the ultimate babe magnet(we won't tell the wife)

[Darren Robertson]

To my way of thinking, I would personally rather see this car resurrected with a pink furry interior than not see it resurrected at all.after the tens of thousands of pounds Sean has probably already spent, I would imagine that he has the sole right to deciding what does or doesn't go into the interior.
Either way, the outside will be just as beautiful as the original and the inside will be what Gerry Anderson could only dream of when he made UFO. So, Sean, go for it and do it your way!

Some things, iconic as they may be, NEED to be updated and improved upon. Not only because of changing tastes but because of safety and functionality in the modern world.

We'll all be drooling, no matter WHAT you do

@ Tibbington: S'okay, Mate, my eagle was NEVER the biggest!

[SteveDix]

Originally Posted by andersonitis

You better invest in some new clobber
As your building the ultimate babe magnet(we won't tell the wife)

What do you have in mind? A blond Beatle wig and a Nehru jacket?

[Nige194]

What was the legal situation of originally driving the cars on the road because they were so bad to drive? Was it legal because they closed off the roads for filming?

[Darren Robertson]

Originally Posted by Nige194

What was the legal situation of originally driving the cars on the road because they were so bad to drive? Was it legal because they closed off the roads for filming?

I imagine that they weren't SVA'd and even if they were, as stated earlier, they were just pigs to drive...

[filmsean@btinternet.com]

Originally Posted by Darren Robertson

I imagine that they weren't SVA'd and even if they were, as stated earlier, they were just pigs to drive...

the cars were never legal to drive on the road, they aquired special permission asnd the roads were closed off.

[Plaston Kid]

Was it road legal when Dave lee Travis owned it or have I got the wrong car?