Please Help! Vintage three group Gaggia with strange parts!

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
tebenson
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by tebenson »

Hello everyone! I bought a vintage three group off a guy yesterday that needs a lot of tlc, and this machine has me terribly confused. :|

What i know:
- the previous owner tried to get info with no luck ABC Gaggia?
-it's either a gaggia, or had both her gauges replaced with gaggia parts.
-there is no pump, but there is one wire that is capped at the end. It sits under the drip tray, and I assume it is for an external pump.
-it can be either automatic or manual, depending on which way you turn the switch for dispensing. :shock:

What I don't know:
-what model is this?! Anything similar I can find is just called one group, two group, etc
-how in the world does the automatic option work?! There is a metal tube to the right of each group head that has a small handle on it. When you push the little handle, the tube rotates clockwards up a track. The bottom of the tube has a spring coming out of it and the top has an electrical sensor of sorts. The little spring has a looped end like it would connect to something... almost as if it is a little scale that should measure the shot by weight or something.

tebenson (original poster)
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 years ago

#2: Post by tebenson (original poster) »

I'm going to get more pictures tonight, I got it late last night and was working on taking the front copper panels off to see if there was any information hidden on the original faceplate. It was rebranded by ABC in December of 1986 and so far I haven't been able to locate any original manufacture information. The internet can't be of much help since I don't know what to search for. Typing in "springy jobbie" doesn't do much.

twolane
Posts: 70
Joined: 12 years ago

#3: Post by twolane »

ABC Pasta was a Gaggia importer out of LA (I believe) that would bring machines into the states, slap some extra copper on them, and then sell them as their own. Not unlike what Mr.Espresso has done for years. They're now known as http://www.deluxecoffeepasta.com/default2.asp They may be able to help, but I haven't been in touch with them in years.

Parts wise you could check with http://www.importika.com/ or http://www.espressoparts.com/. that should give you a good starting point.

Good luck with the build!