Did I Make A Bad Chose?

I have been a longtime follower of this forum but this is my first official post. I have been inspired by you guys to try my hand at restoring an old Weber Redhead. I found this guy on a local resale page for $30. Unfortunately Im afraid in my haste I may have looked over a few issues that are making me wonder if I should scrap this poor guy and wait for something else to come along.



One of the major issues is i noticed the firebox has about 6 pinhead size holes that have worn through. You may also notice the screw broke off when I was taking it apart.



I also noticed that the top of the grill looks odd to me. Is it normal for the sides to be black? I thought the entire outside was red including the edges? There are also a few chips in the porcelain but they will be covered by the lid sides.



There are also quite a few things that need to be replaced. The drip tray holder is rusted to pieces. The crossover tube, wheels, casters, knobs, push button all need replaced. It also appears the tool holder and pop up side table are missing. The frame is solid with just a little surface rust. Wondering if I should save the good parts and find a new project grill?

The firebox having holes is a deal breaker... I'd say keep the frame and the red lid and look for a better candidate to come along.

It is normal for the lid to be black on the sides.

It's all good and fixable except the firebox. Keep the grill and look for another similar grill you can get a replacement firebox from. The lid and frame are worth 30 bucks IMO.

Agree with the others. $30 well spent, but just hold on to it for now. Either it will be a parts grill for one you pick up later, or that one you pick up next will be parts grill for this one. Hell, the side table and bottom rack are worth more than 30.

And yes, that is normal on the lid

If you are in a pinch and want to get running just drill out all the holes and use appropriately sized stainless screws to fill them and grind down the ends. I'm all about fixing things right but when it's impractical I've been known to find unconventional methods just to keep the ball rolling

Thanks guys, I think at this point I will save what parts I can and ditch the rest. Can someone tell me what grills the redhead lid will fit on? I have seen it mentioned before in threads but can't find it again. Also will a genesis b fit in the the frame of a genesis 1000?

Not bad at all for $30. Like others have said just keep looking for one with a good fire box and use the best parts from the two.

I think the lid will fit on most 3 burner older genesis grills. I have a 1993 redhead in my garage that is going to be my personal grill once I get to it. I haven't pulled the side panels off it yet, but I have been assuming it is all red, to include the sides. Your grill looks very "red" and the way the red color ends so evenly lends me to think it may be a black enameled lid that has been been painted over. The paint won't be anywhere near as durable as the enamel and if you take some #0000 steel wool and a spray cleaner to it, it should not mar the finish of porcelain enamel in any way. If it does, then it is paint. Try it on the outer edges where it is covered by the end caps. That way if (red) it does scratch or come off, it won't be visible once you put the caps back on.

The cook box is toast. Get rid of it. You are also missing a drop down swing table on the left side which is common. Mine is missing the same part. I am on the lookout for a donor. But, I got my grill for free, so a little investment isn't going to hurt too bad.

If I were you, I would keep my eyes open on CL. If you are patient, you will find a better candidate for rehab or a donor grill for parts that can make your current grill whole and you should find one for less than $50.00

I picked up two Genesis Silver B Green Head special edition grills last week for $25 each. The are some kind of special edition from 2001 and ironically, they are both identical and purchased from two different people. I couldn't even register them on Weber.com because they are special edition grills and no in their registration system. I emailed customer service and they registered them in my account for me.