Sign in

Jim Christie

@the-crust.bsky.social
249 followers 98 following 988 posts

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

PostsRepliesMedia
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 5h
"What do you mean you've struck an iceberg and need to send an SOS? This is *my* box now, and I fits, so..." Our two are also very good at involving themselves in activities that require precisely zero cats 🤣
000
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Whiskey Tango alfa Foxtrot
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
S.M.A.S.H
2110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Good Morning Oldham
0100
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Make a war film rubbish. Good Morning Oldham
140
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Make a war film rubbish. Lawrence of Alsbury
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The Great Escapade
160
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The Bakers Dozen
070
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Make a war film rubbish. The Baker's Dozen
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
I *may* have taken this gorgeous, shouty old lady out for a sunny, autumnal blat around. #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #carbluesky
Picture shows the detail around the rear nearside corner of a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI
0200
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
👍 We saw a nice T-plated Mk2 Sport out and about today looking vibrant in Signal Orange. Mrs C commented how small it looked compared to the traffic around it!
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A bit more driving today, and the pad swept areas are about clear of the protective coating - the discs are bedding in nicely 👍
Photo shows a grubby alloy wheel, through which a clean, drilled and grooved Mtec brake disc can be seen.
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Yep. The entire disc is supplied with an anti-corrosion coating. My last set were black, but I chose silver this time - the one thing that is consistent is the awful niff that the discs give off as they heat for the first time and the pads start to clear the coating off the swept area.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This afternoon, I switched the brake discs on the #AlfaRomeo #Mito for the MTec items delivered earlier this week. Job done in about 90 minutes. Super. Driving around to start getting them bedded in, I remembered too late that the coating absolutely hums as it comes off 🤢 #weirdcarbs #carbluesky
250
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
It is sunny, and dry! [ Whips off the weather cover, and fires up the Shouty Straight Six ] We shall go to... Tesco...? #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #triumph #carbluesky
Picture shows a 1971 Triumph Mk2 PI, in white, sat in the car park of a supermarket. Paint and brightwork are gleaming in the autumn sunshine.
0182
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Oy oy... What's happening here? Dort's #AlfaRomeo #Mito is getting some new front brakes. Vented and drilled discs are somewhat overkill for a 1.3 JTDm2 - but I think the quality of MTEC stuff is pretty good having had them on my 159 Sportwagon, which used to eat Brembo discs for fun #weirdcarbs
Picture shows a closed box with a vendor's shipping label on it, providing absolutely no reassurance to the postie that it wouldn't give them a hernia.Picture shows the opened box. A silver brake disc wrapped in plastic is visible inside.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
[ Digs out usual "No car needs to be online in order to be a car" response ] The first things any connected car like that which ends up in my ownership gets: a microphone full of hot melt glue - and its GSM antenna cut off.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Some scammer is pitching very boldly indeed!
120
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Great stuff - a reward well deserved, I think 👍
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I'm quite lucky that I have this place (www.autosparks.co.uk) more-or-less down the road from me - which was dead handy building up the PI's EFi engine harness - but I've seen quite a few businesses go that way 🙁
autosparks.co.uk
Wiring Looms and Vehicle Wiring Products | Autosparks
Vehicle Wiring Products and Automotive Electrical Supplies. High quality wiring looms and wiring harnesses in classic and contemporary styles. Made in Britain.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
That looks almost like it could be Jon's...
011
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🤞
000
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I'm quite impressed with them, to be honest. So much so, I've now got H4 and H1 LEDs on order to replace the candles in the headlamps. The Flasher was already a LED-compatible one, but the hazard relay isn't completely happy with them so that'll need to be replaced. New one also on order 👍
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
130
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Retrofitted some LED bulbs to the #Triumph Mk2 PI today, replacing front and rear indicators, front sidelights, rear stop/tail, reversing and number plate lamps, which had all been traditional incandescent bulbs. Easy enough to fit, and much brighter - even in sunlight 👍 #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs
2110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Can you tell if the cable (or hydraulics, whatever it uses) is actually pulling on the release fork? Does the pedal feel "normal"?* *for any given definition of it.
001
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
👍
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
What about the HMS Hawke / RMS Olympic coming together off spithead in 1911? Ok, neither sank, but in terms of tonnage involved with the biggest ship in the world at the time, that has to be up there.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I quite love the reaction when I overtake slower-moving stuff in the Triumph. Audis and BMWs - and the stereotype that tend to own them - can be particularly amusing, especially if they realise I'm making a point 🤣
030
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The Alfa Mito is perceived as a popular first car for young women and I've noticed when I drive the Dort's, bullying perceptibly increases despite it being fairly nippy. The Triumph Mk2 PI is as small by modern standards, but the six is "quite shouty" under power. Folks tend to leave that alone.
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A spy "hidden" in the back of a Mk2 Triumph? Evidently M is not aware of the large glass area giving excellent visibility all round - from inside *and* out... 🤣
030
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Misusing our rubbish grasp of Italian to gently troll Mrs C after she dropped a typo this morning #weirdcarbs #classiccarbs #carbluesky #britishleyland
Photo shows a snippet of a text conversation between Mrs C and myself. Her initial message to me should say "good morning my husband" in italian - only there is a typo in it leading to the use of "marina" instead of "mattina"

The response features a picture of a 1974 Morris Marina in red with the line "Marinas are good?"

Mrs C told me later to stop being a twat 🤣
031
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Loving that 👍 I've rebuilt engines plenty of times, but never had a gearbox in bits. I would be scared stiff of it exploding into lots of pieces with many of them sodding off into either an alternative dimension, or a dark corner under the workbench never to be seen again 😬 🤣
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Fingers very firmly crossed for no more hassle 🤞 This gearbox has been on hell of a trial!
120
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Oh, excellent 😶 I mean, I suspect you'd rather find this now than later when it helps turn the bearings to expensive mince, but even so... sheesh! 😬
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Can't say our cats feel quite the same about the hoover; they both disappear like farts in a hurricane when it comes out! 🤣
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Son also lives in London. Have never felt unsafe when we've visited, even when in central tourist-y zones. I find it a bit over-stimulating, just too many people about, but they both love it there.
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Daughter, who lives in London and drives owns a ULEZ-compliant diesel Alfa Mito. It's here in Nottingham with me. She says: "Dad, you'd have to be mad to own a car in london with the plethora of public transport options available"
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
You hoovered the dog...? Poor thing... 🤣
100
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
They look like they've made a nice job of that! 👍
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Don't forget gasket paper "squishes" as you tighten the components it is between. That 0.4mm might finish up something significantly less. I'd be getting a sheet and testing it 👍
010
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
🤔 Can you not buy gasket paper in the US?
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Already?
100
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Never mind post about it on social media 😉
120
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Little Torteshell Cat is roaming the hallway downstairs looking for her sister, Little Black Cat, who is evidently hiding quietly in the dark - because she's an asshole. One little mew reached us that ended with an upward infection and we're giggling like idiots at what sounded like "mew?"
020
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
We have a similar thing here - car, servicing, insurance costs, everything delivered through one monthly salary sacrifice payment. We have a fairly wide choice of awful, bland cars - but I did notice it also included stuff like the Alpine version of the Renault 5. Still not tempted though 🤣
110
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I've heard others refer to the Haynes manuals as the "Book of Lies" Can't speak for the accuracy of the proceedures in the manual I have for the Mk2 PI, but the wiring diagrams do seem to be creative works of fiction. I found a factory workshop manual for it. Is one available for the Pug?
Photo shows the original factory repair operation manual for the Triumph Mk2 series. Found on ebay for £5.Photo shows an example of the information in the factory manual - in this instance, related to the rear axle and differential
120
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Void with eyes waves hello
Picture shows a black femail british domestic shorthair cat, just 1 year old, with - we think - a slightly freaked expression.

[ As with all black cats, few facial features are often visible to give their expressions context 🤣 ]
0100
Jim Christie @the-crust.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
With all the shite doing the rounds, we were due some positivity 👍
020