Yes I hear you...and yes, it's yet another La Pavoni thread but to my defense it's a transitional first gen Europiccola that is slightly less documented.... (that's an excuse hah! mainly I just want to share my experience/excitement)

A little background about myself - I had a 1983 Cremina in the early days of my coffee journey but unfortunately I had to let it go due to moving between countries (110v & 220v). Some of my best shots came from the Cremina and I had a really good time with it. For nostalgic reasons, I wished to revisit the fond memories and thus was on the look out for a used Cremina. A Cremina I did not find, but I did pick up a used Millennium Pavoni a year ago and did not come off very impressed, so it was gone. Unfortunately another year has passed and a used (& reasonably priced) Cremina is indeed a rare sight in Australia. I almost gave up on it. Instead, the Pavoni 'fevers' on HB had me convinced that early Pavonis are built to a better quality, not too far off behind the Cremina. With some unbelievable luck, I stumbled upon this beauty!


On the delivery day, I had to come home early to wait for the Mr. Postman but it was worth it! Here she was before the Easter weekend!

On the outside the condition looks great for its age. Can you believe she's actually older than I am??? There're some patinas - in the paint and on the steam valve with brass showing through. But other than that, it's in an almost pristine condition!

Here are some of the 1974 1st gen features:

Metal sight glass cover (here you can see some brass showing through but it's actually much less visible in person):

Did I tell you how terrible was the plastic cover on the Millenium version?? They become cloudy after a while and did tick my OCD. Now this is a real cover. To my surprise, the metal sheath can actually swivel! I didn't know this little detail from reading and it wasn't mentioned anywhere(maybe I missed it)...

Removable Shower screen (with brass sleeve - not shown) :


Lucky me! This is the type of shower screen that is easily removable (by hand loosening the top nut and use the piston to press it out), and is definitely easier than on the Cremina (which requires removing the circlip/pin and a tap with hammer)! Shower screen removal is clearly one area that is superior to the Cremina in my opinion. For some reason the shower screen on Pavoni doesn't stay as clean as my Brugnetti Aurora (the big lever). So this easy-remove screen will come in handy for routine cleaning.

Interestingly, all the newer/modern Pavoni shower screen has a blind area in the center with no holes. The early ones have holes all the way on the screen.

Rubber base:


Another surprise - the rubber base is thick and soft. It feels so much more stable and comfortable when pulling a shot. I am quite impressed that the rubber is still supple after all these years. I wonder if they do get harden over time??

Cast aluminium(?) drip tray:


This is wonderful! The modern Pavoni I had for a while had some sign of rusts in the drip tray. Even though it doesn't affect the functionality, it doesn't feel nice nor it feels like a permanent machine.... As you would have noticed in the above picture, some of the paint has come off the drip tray, which reveals the gray undertone from the metal. It did cross my mind to repaint it, but I do like it this way. It's a living proof of her age and this I think is the good kind of patina that doesn't get worsen unlike an actual rust!

Boiler cap:

This female threaded boiler cap feels weird initially. As I was used to seeing boiler caps on modern Pavoni with a male thread instead.

And the signature three-position-switch & dual element:


I plugged it into the Powermate Lite and the meter showed that the element is drawing 220watt at position 'I' and 1000watt at position 'II'. Get up to temp very quickly!

The cast lever fork:


It is definitely sturdier than a bent metal sheet used on the later machines. But I have to say, that groove there looked a little crude and like it was hand finished/made. ;p


Now...this is not a feature.. ;p I have unscrewed the handle partially to expose the original chrome finish. For some reason, the lever arm's chrome exposed in the air has come off slightly. This is actually the third vintage Pavoni I've seen with this exact 'wear'. Really curious why the chrome on the lever arm doesn't last as long as the chrome on the boiler, which get exposed to an even higher temperature.

It looked clean and there was no funky smell, so of course first logical thing to do is to rinse the boiler and fill it up to make some coffee! Unfortunately, once it's warmed up, I immediately knew that a small refurbishment job needs to be done. There's water leaking from the shower screen and some water leaking from the top either. Those are the sign both the piston gaskets and rod seal are worn. Though, in that leaky group head state, can you believe I still manage to pull some amazing shots continuously for almost two weeks!


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Fast forward to two weeks later, I received a parcel from Italy. Who else, other than from the famous Francesco in Italy! I bought a gasket kit, a bottomless portafilter (with spring yay!), and a single basket (I recalled getting god shots from this!). And Francesco was so generous to include some extra bits which I needed/may need (Thank you again Francesco!).



With my tools ready, the Pavoni is about to get refreshed!

From left to right : Multi-purpose 'Swiss-knife' pliers (thanks Julian!), 16mm wrench (for the hissing/pressure valve), spoon (for removing piston seals, you will see), chopstick (handy for removing circlip), snap ring plier (took me a while to get the right one with 1.5mm pin, but it's important for the rod gasket), hook (useful for removing hardy gasket), scalpel blade (just in case. I did not end up using)

First off is to remove the piston, which is a fairly easy task for me (of course, after doing it for too many times on the Cremina ;p). Here's the rear slot - looks unused, almost!


The piston seals can sometimes be a bit of chore to remove and to install. I found this little tea spoon super handy and won't damage the brass piston.




Within 5 minutes, the old gaskets are out and the new ones in. The old seals are still very pliable but they do not seem to flare out as much. They're probably flattened after being stored for years.


The rod gasket, however, is a tough guy to crack.

The circlip has gone rusted and the gasket itself is hard as rock. Don't worry, I have actually removed the rusted circlip long before I use it for two weeks - this is my third time opening up the group head. Though, some rust/ion oxide in the diet may actually be healthy for you....


p/s: that's the nice little Dow 111 tub from Francesco!

Since the group head on this first gen is not removable, it can be a bit tough to look into cylinder bore. But fear not, I have a little trick up my sleeve!

With a phone camera and its built-in flash light, it's not a problem! I felt like a surgeon doing a laparoscopic surgery



This is the pressure regulating valve. Based on Rpavlis's recommendation, I switch it out to the plastic mushroom. What a difference!! Before, it would hiss very quickly and steam was anaemic (even after I had cleaned the stainless ball). Now, it took longer to hiss and steaming is way more powerful. A mod that I heartily recommend!

Next up is the steam valve.



As recommended by DanoM, I added a silicone tube sleeve so no more leaking with soft close of the valve (I was reluctant to screw it tightly)!

The roll pin was a chore to get out - mainly to find the right tool with the right diameter(3mm). I had some olive oil+acetone(as home made penetrating oil) sitting in the roll pin before doing anything. Then the valve assembly was placed on a wood piece to start tapping (firmly but gently). Once the roll pin was out, I chucked it in a zip lock bag together with all the old parts. Rpavlis recommended threading and adding a M4 screw, but I don't have that at the moment. So instead, I cut up a small length of bamboo stick/skewer(shown above) with both ends colored black with a marker pen. That went in place of the roll pin. I would never turn the knob hard so it shouldn't break. Even if it does, it should be a lot easier to remove than the roll pin! Oh, the original intention of the bamboo skewer was to block the steam tip (which I did but now it found a new function)!

Once that's done, I am ready to fill her up again and pull some shots!

Here it is in my office with the little Helor 101!


When they (DrGary, Rpavlis et al) said it's hard to pull a bad shot on these 1st gen Pavonis, they really mean it. Now that I look back, I didn't have a bad shot yet and all has been way more than drinkable! Oh, the singles are to die for!

Hope you have enjoyed that a little. Now is the infomercial time! ;p

Here's how my boiler/element looks like. My element seems to be nickel-plated but almost all elements I've seen online are bare copper?



If you look closely, there's some rust-colored spots on the element. Should I be concerned, and should I initiate a descaling process given that there's only very little/no lime scale? Mainly I want to avoid removing the nickel(?) plating on the boiler and the element.

Thanks for reading!

Interesting regarding you element be plated. I've taken apart 6 and have only seen copper elements on these early machines so far.

I'm a big fan of the 1st gen LPE in particular with the 3 way rocker switch.

Sam,

Good find! That is a great looking machine. It certainly looks a lot better than many machines that are much newer.

Rocky

redbone wrote:Interesting regarding you element be plated. I've taken apart 6 and have only seen copper elements on these early machines so far.

I'm a big fan of the 1st gen LPE in particular with the 3 way rocker switch.
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I can now say I am a fan too!

Agree, I have not seen any silver-ish element on the Pavoni except that the newer stainless steel element. No matter how I look at it, it does look like a coated plating. There's some wrinkles indicating it may come off with a descale....

RockyIII wrote:Good find! That is a great looking machine. It certainly looks a lot better than many machines that are much newer.

Thank you Rocky. Yes, it does look gorgeous and is almost portable too. As long as you don't touch her accidentally when she's working(operating), she's a hot one.

Could that be nickel plated steel? If so, the plating is there to prevent it from rusting, and rust is already evident. Descaling most likely will destroy what's left of the plating, but it's already flaking off anyway.

Very nice, Samuel! The base is cast aluminum. With my two machines of similar vintage I've added a 3D printed drip tray that fits perfectly under the grate and helps prevent further paint degradation.

3D Print of Drip Tray for 1st Gen La Pavoni, a better fit

These are truly wonderful machines. I have a 1964 machine. The handle is interesting, mine is not plated and seems to be a peculiar steel alloy that has only a very very low tendency to rust. After long intervals, I go over it with a bit of very fine sand paper and then give it a coating of Renaissance wax. When I acquired mine it was very clean. I had to replace the seals on the site glass. I have used only pure water containing only potassium bicarbonate, usually only about 50-60 milligrams/litre. This allows the protective CuO film that forms on the copper and brass to be extremely stable, and even after years and years no descaling ever is necessary to disturb the coat. I tend to treat mine with extreme care, perhaps excessive!

If one use pure water all scale will gradually dissolve. In fact until the scale is gone using pure water is equivalent to using slightly hard water, because the scale will dissolve at a rate given by the calcium carbonate (or sulphate) solubility product. Most people do not realise that because solids have unit activity, and because the solubility product is what determines actual Ca concentration, if there be enough Ca to create scale, the actual water that leaves a boiler tends to have about the same concentration whether it were initially massively polluted or with just enough to start scaling! Massive contamination quickly results in a boiler filled with what is essentially linestone but the water leaving it tends to have close to the same amount of dissolved calcium as would have been produced with light contamination.

It is remarkable how well one can control temperature with these machines.

Did it come in the box marked 'games'? very appropriate, even better if it said 'toys'.

samuellaw178 wrote:Now...this is not a feature.. ;p I have unscrewed the handle partially to expose the original chrome finish. For some reason, the lever arm's chrome exposed in the air has come off slightly. This is actually the third vintage Pavoni I've seen with this exact 'wear'. Really curious why the chrome on the lever arm doesn't last as long as the chrome on the boiler, which get exposed to an even higher temperature.

The chrome can withstand high temps just fine. It's the salts, oils and acids in peoples hands that attack the chrome.

Nice score either way!

crazy4espresso wrote:Could that be nickel plated steel?

Maybe! But I have not heard of elements that are made of steel. If so, I'm in a big trouble!

drgary wrote:Very nice, Samuel! The base is cast aluminum.

Thanks Dr Gary! Thanks for the link & idea! Right now I am getting by with a recycled plastic tray that is short enough to fit under the grate and just enough to catch drips. It was originally the lid of a plastic container for paper muffin cup liners. If I come across 3D printer I will definitely give it a go.

rpavlis wrote:The handle is interesting, mine is not plated and seems to be a peculiar steel alloy that has only a very very low tendency to rust.

Thank you Prof Robert for your contributions on Pavoni! They have been immensely helpful and cut my learning curve really short.

Paul_Pratt wrote:Did it come in the box marked 'games'? very appropriate, even better if it said 'toys'.

Well spotted Paul! Indeed, that was very apt.

TomC wrote:The chrome can withstand high temps just fine. It's the salts, oils and acids in peoples hands that attack the chrome.

Thanks Tom!! That does make sense. It's odd someone would hold on the arm rather than the handle though.