One of the difficulties associated with the tuning business was of course manufacturers changed and updated their models and there was ever pressing need to produce new kits and adapt existing ones. The reliability of the Shorrock supercharger, when produced by Shorrock themselves, was of a very high standard.
However problems began to develop with the Rubery Owen manufactured units. It could of course have been that the tolerances set by Shorrock were not sufficiently tight for bulk production. Failures did begin to occur which tended to mar a very successful conversion. It must also be said that as soon as engine power outputs increase revs also rose which took the supercharger rpm beyond its maximum safe limit. Once this had happened either the vanes touched the case or the trunnions were beginning to get excessively worn, causing the efficiency to drop. It caused a drop in boost pressure and the inevitable loss of power.
While the production of cars was now over there was a continual call for spare parts and the need to provide technical information. Keswick Road still provided the Allard repair centre along with the Adlards Ford sub dealership. It was around this time that we had an enquiry from a J2X owner in Lima, Peru, for a set of disc brakes. There was still a small stock of brake parts from the Palm Beach Mk2. If they were provided to the Peruvian owner he was prepared to accept the cost of some specially designed hubs and calliper adapters and we would make a one-off set. In order that the correct balance between front and rear brakes could be achieved, dual master cylinders would have to be fitted and this was to be done in Peru.
The parts were made and shipped to Peru. I never heard how the conversion worked. Some time, later I had a letter from the mother of the J2X owner to tell me her son had been killed in road accident while driving his Austin Healey. It could be claimed that this was the only J2X to have a genuine manufacturer’s disc brake conversion.