Early Conti 1 group - Page 3

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
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pootoogoo
Posts: 326
Joined: 11 years ago

#21: Post by pootoogoo »

Nice catch, Paul.

I'm pretty sure this group came from Eterna and was used by Conti for a very limited time, in the early years of Conti (as indicated by the address on the plate, that was certainly the first address of the brand)... hence closer to 1950 than 1956. It is very rare.

Here is a picture of a two group Conti machine using these groups, a scene from a great 1960 movie called "Zazie dans le metro", where the machine is totally destroyed.

My own guess will be between 1950 and 1952 (move from François Ier to Sergent Bobillot address), but not so close to 1952 since machines with the same frame and Reneka groups (later adopted by Conti) were also produced at this address. :wink:

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Paul_Pratt (original poster)
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#22: Post by Paul_Pratt (original poster) »

cuppajoe wrote:Very nice, what did you have to give up in return? Excellent example of early '50s design and looks to be complete and original. Is that a shovel handle lever?
I restored a machine for someone else and he offered me this rather than pay the invoice. Financially not a good move but should be a rewarding project. It does indeed have the shovel handle.
JohnB. wrote:Very nice Paul. That brass body on the front cover cleaned up well. Is that an OPV?
That is the manual fill, the lever is out for chrome now. Must install that valve before the elements and before securing the boiler to the frame as it fouls just about everything in it's rotational arc. Don't ask me how I know :oops:

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Paul_Pratt (original poster)
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#23: Post by Paul_Pratt (original poster) »

pootoogoo wrote:Nice catch, Paul.

I'm pretty sure this group came from Eterna and was used by Conti for a very limited time, in the early years of Conti (as indicated by the address on the plate, that was certainly the first address of the brand)... hence closer to 1950 than 1956. It is very rare.

Here is a picture of a two group Conti machine using these groups, a scene from a great 1960 movie called "Zazie dans le metro", where the machine is totally destroyed.

My own guess will be between 1950 and 1952 (move from François Ier to Sergent Bobillot address), but not so close to 1952 since machines with the same frame and Reneka groups (later adopted by Conti) were also produced at this address. :wink:
Thank you for your work. I have been looking at Eterna groups as well. I was a little worried last week when it was pointed out on Instagram that the group was Eterna as the machine originally came from someone who is infamous for robbing swapping parts and creating Frankenstein machines - that is the reason I assumed Pascal had declined this machine. But I was 100% certain the group had never been removed from the boiler before and that the front panel cutout matches the group neck design perfectly. I'll post more pics later.

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Paul_Pratt (original poster)
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#24: Post by Paul_Pratt (original poster) »

Is it the original group?

The group does not look like other Conti groups and looks like it was made from Eterna parts. But to cut a long story short, yes it is original :D Not only was I certain the group has been on the machine for over 60 years, it was slightly different than other Eterna groups, as if Conti had made a few personal modifications.

But I must thank Vincent Roche in France for sending me this photo that proves the group was used by Conti, there is a nice picture of it on the side of the van. Presumably the photo belongs to Conti Espresso of Monaco.



The group has a piston which is quite similar to the original Gaggia group. Identical but the diameters are different. And of course it has a gasket stack...



I would like to use some Viton V shaped rings and so designed them this morning and sent them off for CNC cutting.



Here is the group after I had removed all the dents and restored the original shape, this is just before I dropped them off for chrome.



What is very interesting is that the parts are made from a real mixture of metals. Most are brass of course, but some look like bronze, and the drip tray is made from copper. The drip tray grate is brass.



Chrome is now ready so if I have time I will pick it up tomorrow.

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rotchitos
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#25: Post by rotchitos »

if I saw the eterna group on this conti van for my research, pootoogoo had seen it too and it was he who had lent me the image a long time ago.
so, a big thank you to pootoogoo.
:wink:

It is not a frankenstein machine. :mrgreen:
http://machines.cafeslevier.free.fr/
I look for persons to translate into English one or + pages of my site... :-)

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pootoogoo
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#26: Post by pootoogoo »

Just for the records. The guy appearing on the picture is believed to be Gabriel Siksik, founder of the brand.
The address and phone number is also the same as on Paul's machine (very first address).

I found that picture few years ago, as I was trying to write the history of the brand but I ended up having too few things to share. I contacted the Conti headquarter to get access to their archives but they, unfortunately, do not seem to care so much about old history.



Just to come back to that picture, our detective Vincent had an interesting comment about it: the license plate on the new Citroën van points to mid-1951 (because of the letters used before the Paris identification "75")... hence confirming the date from another angle. :wink:

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redbone
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#27: Post by redbone »

^
^^
Man !! You guys are better than the C.I.A. Nice work on the research.
Between order and chaos there is espresso.
Semper discens.


Rob
LMWDP #549

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Sansibar99
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#28: Post by Sansibar99 replying to redbone »

C.I.A. ?

Coffee Intelligence Agency :mrgreen:

(international conglomerate in pursuit of the LMWDP)
LMWDP #422

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pootoogoo
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#29: Post by pootoogoo »

Damn, my undercover activity is revealed !
:lol:

Javier
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#30: Post by Javier replying to pootoogoo »

Quick, get rid of your espresso machines!!! I volunteer to hide one of your lever espresso machines. :D
LMWDP #115