TURNING A $450 MACHINE INTO A $3000 ESPRESSO MACHINE!: Gaggia Classic Pro FRANKENSTEIN

EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS MACHINE, the video is a fun one. I'm quite proud of this one and hope you enjoy it, even if not in the market for a new machine!

Over the last few weeks since my first GCP video, I have been sourcing and implementing a few different mods for the GCP to epitomize performance. Check bottom of caption for list of prices and time spent on each mod!

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Special thanks to PWEB and Anarcho on Espresso Aficionado Discord for helping me with the dimmer mod. They were super helpful as I navigated this not well-covered modification.
Special thanks to Mr. Shades for the prompt responses to questions on the PID install (the fix, I'm sure a sigh of relief to him, was the buffoonery of the misplaced decimal haha!)

Time Cues:
0:00- Introduction and Overview
2:08- OPV Spring Replacement
5:22- PID Install
8:47- Dimmer Mod
12:00- Mod Woes (Cuz I'm a Dumb Dumb)
15:39- Demoing the Mods
21:48- Blasting a Shot
26:43- Pouring a Doodle Dairy
28:07- Giving Away Machine and Conclusion

Resources:

All Shades of Coffee installs were guided by manuals from their website- https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/

For the dimmer, I found this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gaggiaclassi...

Also, this:


And this:
https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/1910...

and now Sam Burchard has made a video with the dimmer mod, found here:
   • Gaggia dimmer switch mod!  

Check out this Canadian Company selling mods:
https://idrinkcoffee.com/collections/...

Mods (cost/time)
$36.68/0-- Low Profile Tray (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/extr...)
$14.11/15min-- OPV Spring Mod (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/gagg...)
$135.44/5hrs-- PID (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/pid-...)
$32.45/0-- Bottomless Portafilter (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/bott...)
$16.93/5min-- IMS Screen (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/filt...)
$28.22/0-- IMS Basket (https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/filt...)
$5.87/1hr-- Light Dimmer (https://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Single-...)
$15-/15min- Light Box and Cover (Can't find a link, but bought at Lowe's)
$30-- Miscellaneous screws and wiring

TOTAL: Roughly $315 (excluding VAT and shipping, which put the cost closer to $400 USD)