On the Road Again
Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 9:47PM 
From Lindsey Parsons...
The car recently arrived home. I have included a shot of J2X 3077 as it returned home from the rally mishap three years ago. It looks like a different car completely now. My long distaste held for chrome is definitely reflected in the new configuration. The painted wheels and internally contained spare tire give the car a much more classic look to my eye.
John Harden's people labored long and skillfully on the machine at his VINTAGE CONNECTION firm in Oklahoma City. Although he had the car there for nearly three years, they could only get to it for the last 24 months. I haven't totaled the precise hours of labor employed but it was well over 3000. The actual damage we did to the machine in the rally would have been relatively easy to address as most of it was located in the right front suspension area. The real problems on the car were the damages sustained long before the rally crash. There was a slight twist in the basic frame along with some associated damage to the rear end in the past. This was coupled with innumerable thin weak spots in all the body pieces along with some considerable wear and tear from the more than 20,000 thousand miles I put on the car. It was definitely time for the frame up restoration the car received.
I have barely had time to drive the car around the block here but, even so, the newly overhauled Marles steering box is now rock solid with no play whatsoever and the car feels very tight and secure. It's clearly going to be a much different car than it was before. I am delighted with the work the shop did.
Best regards,
Lindsey Parsons
Allard, J2x, Restoration in RESTORATION
Reader Comments (1)
to whom it may interest,in 1960 i owned an allard two seater car, purchased from a garage in hamton court ,model name l"escargo,french for the snail,it had andre adjustable shock absorbers,a large v8 engine,equiped with two very large down draft carburetas,the rear of the body was like an xk120 jaguar and built about the same period,i sold the car in 1960 having not long been married without two halpenneys to rub together,it went for £42 .00,i was just 21 and thought this car was the best thing in motoring,but practicalities won out and it had to go,one of the reasons for writing this is that i have never seen another like it and wondered if any one else has, and would like to post a picture of it,heres hoping for a glimcs into the past,Dave.