Jason, Thanks for your post. I am sure you will get some great feedback...
A LITTLE HISTORY:
Weber tried to make a gas grill out of their famous "kettle". It was a miserable failure, but to their credit Weber learned a lot. They came up with some very simple solutions to gas grilling, especially replacing lava rocks with angled "flavorizer bars" in their new creation, the Genesis. They also designed a product that was easy to operate and easy to maintain. Built it rugged with a strong steel frame, when cheap competitors gas grills were just rickety pieces of junk. They also put in some warm charm with stained wood tables and fold-up trays and over time a variety of hood colors.
Weber was a family-owned business and concentrated on quality products and excellent customer service. As outsourcing and Chinese manufacturing became the thing, Weber's competitors began to bring flashy large "stainless" (actually cheap corrosion-prone junk) grills to the big box stores at prices well below Weber's. Weber, I am sure, felt this pressure and responded by making bigger and flashier grills, too. Along the way, though, the quality and simplicity started to erode. Weber was sold to a private equity firm
and they have accelerated the outsourcing to China of almost everything. The sad result of this can be seen most clearly when you examine a specimen of their "limited edition" red kettle made this past year in the People's Republic. Lackluster color and embarrassing quality control and shipping problems.
So, many of us prefer the classic original, Made in USA, Genesis 1000-5000 grills or the slightly updated Genesis Silver/Gold/Platinum grills. I guess it could be a little nostalgic like enjoying a Model A or 57 Chevy, but the truth is that unlike old cars these old grills actually DO WORK BETTER in many respects. They certainly are easier to keep functional and are built to last. The same certainly cannot be said of the many off-brand (and sadly perhaps some new Weber) grills for sale today. When you consider that for the same money as one of these you can pick up a good rehab candidate Genesis, buy some quality replacement parts, and with some fun and rewarding elbow grease come out with a WAY BETTER grill, it is easy to see why we like this hobby!
Many people today are enthralled with flashy high tech looking stainless grills. To me, though, the classic Genesis - particularly with stained wood shelving has a kind of elegance like a high-end classic car.
I suppose this is all up to an individual's taste. I would suggest you scan through the many posts here of Genesis restorations to get a good idea of what can be done and what they look like when finished.
Our group can be a helpful resource in steering you to some of the best choices for replacement parts or working through issues in your restoration. We LOVE to see pictures of other members' renovations
!
Best wishes! I hope you catch the fever and join in the fun!
Jon