# Untouched 2004 Gaggia Classic?



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

I just picked this up from the British Heart Foundation shop in Northampton for £60

It was advertised on Gumtree yesterday (I received notice this morning)

I phoned shop at 9 this morning and the person said they would keep it for me for one hour!

Mad rush down the M6 and M1 and just made it within the hour

It's been PAT tested January 2020 and apparently works too!?

Opened the top and it looks untouched?

Will start stripping it down sometime in the next week depending on time.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

aww great find!
yea, looks like it hasn't been opened yet... especially the cable tie around steam pipe is something that's usually not going back on 

Have you tried it yet?
Maybe it doesn't even need a strip down...


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Not tried it yet but tank and pipes are completely dry.

I guess the testing to see if it works consisted of turning the power switch on!

I will try it later, great find I think?

When I got to the shop they said they had been inundated with phone calls about it!

There was no info on the year until I turned it upside down in the shop. ?


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

haha, terrific!!

when you switch it on, make sure to engage pump straight away for a good flush (preferably without shower screen and plate).
Depending on what exits the boiler first, plan your next steps I'd say!

Gotta love a good barn find


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

Fill the tank, open the steam valve knob and place steam nozzle towards drip tray. Turn the machine on and press steam and brew buttons together wait until you see water coming from steam valve. Then while it is still running flick back steam button then close steam valve knob off. Let the water come only from group head. Your machine now primed. Don't forget to check any leaks when the machine heats up.


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## Keith1968 (Jan 3, 2020)

Lucky devil, I have been combing Gumtree and Facebook for a cheap deal on one of these, must have missed it. You probably passed within a few miles of me on your trip to collect.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Check the second connection in on the switch, It looks as if it has been over heating. (discolouration) Possibly loose / poor connecror


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Inspector said:


> Fill the tank, open the steam valve knob and place steam nozzle towards drip tray. Turn the machine on and press steam and brew buttons together wait until you see water coming from steam valve. Then while it is still running flick back steam button then close steam valve knob off. Let the water come only from group head. Your machine now primed. Don't forget to check any leaks when the machine heats up.


 I followed your priming advice and all worked as it should - Great thanks!

I took off the pipe connection on the OPV and measured the depth to the top of the hex head adjustment screw, and found it to be 12.5mm as expected if there was no previous adjustment carried out.

I adjusted the depth to 11mm, as much as it would turn without getting really stiff. I think there's corrosion in the threads above this point so I will have to remove it to check before doing a pressure test.

The head group looks reasonable but I think I will get the boiler out and head group to check all for scale etc. I've got a spare silicon group head gasket and a brass shower plate luckily.



El carajillo said:


> Check the second connection in on the switch, It looks as if it has been over heating. (discolouration) Possibly loose / poor connecror


 I noticed that but when you look at it in the machine there appears to be no discolouration. The connector seems slightly less opaque than the other connectors and you can see the metal connector inside it . It's the second connection in on the middle row, where there's no connector above it. The only anomaly in the connections is the second to the right top connection. It is on the opposite way round to all the other connections. It has the ridge rather than the flat plastic connector facing the top. Thought it might be the PAT tester replacing it the 'wrong' way?

All advice much appreciated - Thanks


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

ratty said:


> I noticed that but when you look at it in the machine there appears to be no discolouration. The connector seems slightly less opaque than the other connectors and you can see the metal connector inside it . It's the second connection in on the middle row, where there's no connector above it. The only anomaly in the connections is the second to the right top connection. It is on the opposite way round to all the other connections. It has the ridge rather than the flat plastic connector facing the top. Thought it might be the PAT tester replacing it the 'wrong' way?
> All advice much appreciated - Thanks


It wouldn't have been the PAT tester as they just use a megohm tester at the plug. It's more likely it was just put on upsidedown in the factory.


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Boiler and Head group out now.

Everything came undone fairly easily.

This is my third machine strip down, a 2005, 2006 and now this 2004.

The boiler and head faces where they attach to each other look pristine, nothing like the other two machines previously.

Shower screen and plate were scaled up big time, plate removed with a long bolt in the shower holder thread, I've got replacements for them so I binned them rather than try and descale.

The head gasket is fairly stuck in situ so I've put the head group into puly caff, gasket as well, to maybe soften it before taking more drastic action.


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Looks like you've got yourself a good one there


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Easy removal of group gasket after 30 minutes soak in Puly Caff! Hardly any wear on the gasket too.

I would love to know the history of this machine.

It seems it was used to pull twenty shots and then put into storage for fifteen years!!??


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Or used with incredibly soft water!


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

nice!


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## Bagpu55 (Dec 23, 2019)

That is a great find!!! Im still trying to get the bloody bolts out of mine


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Sorry friend,

I've had a crap one too! (The first one, the 2005)


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

MartinB said:


> Or used with incredibly soft water!


 On further investigation there is some noticeable wear on the decals on the switches. So you may be correct as in, it was used with an ultra soft water supply!

Have decided I will keep this one.

Going to swop the PID from the 2005 onto the 2004, and whilst the machine is stripped down, add a front face pressure gauge and a dimmer switch.

(Not too keen on electrickery though, I'm more mechanical, boo hoo! Bit of a bummer!)

The 2005 will be fully functional with good components inside, and I will probably pass that one on.


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## Michael87 (Sep 20, 2019)

ratty said:


> On further investigation there is some noticeable wear on the decals on the switches. So you may be correct as in, it was used with an ultra soft water supply!
> 
> Have decided I will keep this one.
> 
> ...


 Would be really interested to see the dimmer install. I want to do this too (have fitted front face pressure gauge) but don't quite have a plan formed yet.


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## Zeak (Jun 12, 2017)

El carajillo said:


> Check the second connection in on the switch, It looks as if it has been over heating. (discolouration) Possibly loose / poor connecror


 That switch connector on mine (2006/12) is solid black. Would that mean it has been replaced at some point? ?

Edit: it's actually the second switch in the first row, sorry. Still.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

No, it has not been replaced. On the wiring diagram I have that cable is black. Overtime the wiring colours have been changed. (possibly due to regulations)


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## Gilly (Jul 29, 2019)

Well you lucky bugger; I was the first to enquire about this on Gumtree but they wouldn't accept PayPal for payment as I'm not local, so I sadly had no choice but to leave it. Good luck with the rebuild it'll go for years and years!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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