Jim Christie

@the-crust

Parent, Alfa and Triumph-owning petrolhead, clay pigoen shooter and server support ninja. Not necessarily in that order - or the same time!

97 Following231 Followers912 Posts

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Jim Christie@the-crust· 27d

I appear to have smoke in this hand-drawn father's day card from my daughter, too. Her sense of humour clearly on display here given my Alfa Romeo *and* British Leyland ownership...

Picture shows a hand-drawn father's day card featuring a car with its hood up, flames coming from it and the text "Dad, what does the light on my car mean?"

Jim Christie@the-crust· 29d

MOT done, and a happy result!

Jim Christie@the-crust· 29d

Mito goes up...

Jim Christie@the-crust· 29d

The waiting starts now... 😬

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jul 11

Having just rescued a pile of kitten springs from under the fridge for the cats, this cute cretin promptly chases her favourite one right back under there 🙄 #caturday #catsofbluesky #catbs

Picture shows a torteshell domestic shorthair kitten, 11 months old, peering hopefully under the fridge having lost one of her favourite toys.

Again 🙄

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jul 9

Is a kit to do the driving available? I converted the old Smith's RVI tachometer in my Triumph Mk2 PI to run from the ECU using a kit from Spiyda when I converted it to full EFi and fitted a coilpack in place of the distributor.

Photo shows the partially-dismantled Smith's tachometer on the bench.

This wasn't when I did the initial conversion; this was me having to fix the conversion after I realised I'd soldered a coil connection backwards which made the needle turn the wrong way. Because I'm an idiot.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jul 8

The Triumph Mk2? 4 headlights and 2 sidelights - mine has a pair of driving lamps giving a total of 8 - but given all were built using Lucas electrical components, none of them work.

Picture shows a 1971 Triumph Mk2 2.5PI in white from the front quarter in an underground carpark setting. The car has four headlamps and two sidelights as standard with this example being fitted with a further two additional driving lights.

For a car with an electrical system designed in the 1960s that is mostly spidered off a single connection on the back of the starter motor, that's a bold choice.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jun 27

Mine appears to be broken judging by the expression... 🤔

Pic shows a black kitten, wide-eyed and a sort of "oh shit" expression going on. Or it would be if you could actually see any detail because... y'know... black cat.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jun 20

Have twilight, will sidelight. While everyone is watching football, I took the Mk2 PI out on the weekly shopping run. Empty roads, summer evening, cruising with the windows down listening to that straight six soundtrack. What's not to like? 👍 #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #carbluesky #Triumph

Picture shows a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI from the front quarter in the evening light, sidelamps lit.

This is the first time in three years I think I've used them.

Picture shows the same Triumph Mk2 from the rear, rear sidelamps lit.

I've discovered the number plate lamps don't work. Hurrah. 🙄

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jun 18

Why hello, little miss cat. Have you had a busy day snoozing? #cat #kitten #catsofbluesky

Picture shows a torteshell female british shorthair kitten, approximately 10 months old, stretched out at the top of the stairs. She is purring loudly as she presents a potentially fatal trip hazard.

Picture shows a torteshell female british shorthair kitten, approximately 10 months old, stretched out at the top of the stairs. She is still purring loudly.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jun 12

Here's another one; my 2.5 PI

Picture shows a white 1971 Triumph Mk2 2.5 PI from the front quarter. There are additional driving lamps bolted to the front bumper, and the car sits on minilite-style alloy wheels.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Jun 11

Today in the datacentre: just how long *has* this been off...? 🤔 #IT #datacentrelife

Picture shows a computer monitor showing a server in POST - Power On Self Test - after being off. The specifications outlined on the screen as part of the test suggest this particular server is "quite old".

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 29

My cat-themed draft-excluder keeps moving into a sunbeam. It's a rubbish draft-excluder.

British shorthair kitten, with black fur, sort-of likes the sun - until she doesn't.

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 25

Have sun, will #Triumph On birthday duties at the Mother-in-Law's for tea and cake. #classiccarbs #carbluesky #weirdcarbs

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 23

An oil service carried out on the PI today - and a change of rocker box gasket. Someone had previously fitted a cork gasket intended for the standard pressed-steel box - alloy rocker boxes use a different, rubberised, gasket. Changed, no more oil leaks or odd smells 👍 #classiccarbs #carbluesky

Photo shows the top of the engine of a 1971 Triumph Mk2 2.5 PI with the rocker cover removed

Photo shows a closeup of the front offside corner of the cylinder head with the old rocker cover gasket exposed. The gasket is soaked through with oil, the patternation of old cork clearly visible.

Photo shows a closeup of the front nearside corner of the cylinder head with the old rocker cover gasket exposed. The gasket is wet with oil, the patternation of old cork clearly visible.

Photo shows a closeup of the front offside corner of the cylinder head with the alloy rocker cover refitted. A portion of the black, rubberised, replacement gasket can be seen protruding from underneath it.

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 19

Post something from your camera roll that comes up when you search yellow car

Photo shows a very yellow Triumph Dolomite Sprint

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 18

Much better! 😊👍

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 18

Today's lunchbreak activity is an rather abrupt MOT on Mrs C's #Audi #TT after she discovered - to her surprise - that it *wasn't* timed to coincide with her service at the end of the month... 😬

Picture shows a white Audi TT on the MOT inspection ramp.

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 16

I hope you have snacks to hand. This was me the other evening when I found myself held hostage in a very lovely way 🥰

Photo shows two british shorthair kittens approximately 10 months old, one torteshell, the other black, relaxed on a caramel-coloured blanket.

I am underneath the blanket, and need a wee.

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 15

Ah, the Azura special edition. I do love a Sierra - have had plenty of them in years gone by. I still miss my last one, a two-owned ex-demonstrator 1990 Sapphire GLXi with all the options fitted - it was used in a Classic Car Mart photoshoot for 80's fleet cars.

Jim Christie@the-crust· May 9

Out shopping this morning - one of these cars is not like the others. #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #carbluesky

Picture shows the carpark in my local Aldi this morning, with the Triumph Mk2 hiding in plain sight.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 29

Thanks to #ClassicAdditions, the #Triumph Mk2 PI has a nice new, semi-fitted all weather cover to live under until I can find it a new garage. This pleases me immensely - though, I suspect, it will please me significantly less when I'm trying to put it on single-handedly in a gale. #weirdcarbs

Photo shows a black car-shaped mound from another angle

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 29

Me too - though choosing to leave fur on the duvet rather than keeping me company, the little shites 😂

Two british short hair kittens, approximately 9 months old, sleeping on a bed. The solar-powered one is sitting in the sun. The tame black hole, not so much.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 26

That's #driveitday done for me, and the PI is back in the garage. When I hooked up the solar conditioner to the battery, I found the cause of the oily smell that wafted through the cabin on the way home from Rustival. That'll be a new rocker box gasket needed then! 🙄😂 #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs

Picture showing the front nearside of the engine, spark plug leads for cylinders 1,2 and 3 in shot.

A black oily mark is running down the side of the cylinder head between plugs 1 and 2, and generally making a mess on the cylinder block below.

Marvellous.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 26

Rocking the retail park carpark #driveitday #triumph #classiccarbs

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 26

#driveitday has begun 😊 #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #carbluesky

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 22

Someone has discovered the sun makes everything cozy and warm... #caturday #kittensofbluesky

A black british shorthair kitten lies stretched out on her side, snoozing in the sun coming through a window.

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 19

Rustival also marked a first for me and Dr Jon: the first time our cars were together at the *same* show! I couldn't tell you *why* its taken us over 30 years to get to this point, but here we are - so here's Jon's Hillman Super Minx, and my Triumph Mk2 PI-to-EFi #classiccarbs #rustival

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 18

On coming back from rustival, I am pleased to see the plan to retrofit cruise control to the #AlfaRomeo #Mito has taken a step forward. #weirdcarbs #carbluesky

Photo shows the salvaged indicator / wiper / cruise control stalks for the Alfa Mito. They need a clean, but should be nicely servicable...

Jim Christie@the-crust· Apr 18

More pics :