Jim Christie

@the-crust.bsky.social

231 Followers 97 Following

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

Photo shows a projection of the 2026 solar eclipse as seen through a pinhole projector in the East Midlands.
Picture shows a female torteshell short-haired cat, 1 year old, lying in a wooden floor and not looking particularly comfortable. A crinkly ball lies behind her.
Photo shows the label of a bottle of Olorosum whisky. It's a Speyside single malt, aged 10 years, with an ABV of 54.7%
Photo shows two bottles of single malt highland whisky. On the left, Ardnamurchan "The Midge" and on the right, Glencadam "Origin 1825"
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?"
Picture shows a torteshell domestic shorthair kitten, 11 months old, peering hopefully under the fridge having lost one of her favourite toys. Again 🙄
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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".
British shorthair kitten, with black fur, sort-of likes the sun - until she doesn't.
Photo shows the top of the engine of a 1971 Triumph Mk2 2.5 PI with the rocker cover removed
Photo shows a very yellow Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Picture shows a white Audi TT on the MOT inspection ramp.
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.
Photo shows a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI in white.
Picture shows the carpark in my local Aldi this morning, with the Triumph Mk2 hiding in plain sight.
Photo shows a black car-shaped mound
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.
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.
A black british shorthair kitten lies stretched out on her side, snoozing in the sun coming through a window.
Photo shows the salvaged indicator / wiper / cruise control stalks for the Alfa Mito. They need a clean, but should be nicely servicable...
Screenshot from the BBC weather app for Gaydon in Warwickshire - where the British Motor Museum is. The weather appsads to be fine 👍
Picture shows the fuel gauge in a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI. The gauge is showing the fuel tank is full.
Picture shows two british shorthair kittens, aporoximately nine months old, sitting on the couch, sunlight catching their ears and fur
Picture shows the new AEM X-series controller fitted to the nearside inner wing of the Triumph - and a large bundle of coiled wire ready for shortening when a new 4-pin Econoseal connector arrives; the one I ordered helpfully having been supplied with a missing pin making using it pointless... 🙄
Picture looking through the empty interior of a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI, which has a malfuctioning parking brake warning light due to a failed wire.
Photo shows one of the old Boge damper units lying on the floor surrounded by very perished rubber bushes. The manufacture date stamped into the damper body said March 1996.
Picture shows a 1971 Mk2 Triumph 2.5 PI saloon from the front quarter
Picture shows the Pride of Ownership stand at the Practical Classics Resto Show, a yellow 1300 Mazda estate in the foreground
Picture shows an Alpine 290 electric vehicle, in Martini livery with matching wheels.
Picture shows the lacquer rinsed off the leading edge of the roof sliding down the wet windscreen.
Scrap intake, with throttle spindle removed and blanked with short M10 bolt.
Picture shows a small bottle of Dowr whisky from the Rosemullion Distillery.
Photo shows a 1971 Triumph 2.5 straight six engine bay, originally a PI, now sporting a modern electronic fuel injection setup.
Photo from a Classic Car Mart photoshoot showing my 1990 2.0i Sierra Sapphire GLX