My redhead rehab

First and foremost, I want to thank all the contributors to the forum. I thought about maintaining lurker status as I move on from this project, but the resource your posts provided in making this a reality were invaluable and credit is due.

I started looking for a new grill at the beginning of winter and my price point kept climbing and I kept getting more and more confused. I wanted something that I wasn't going to have to replace every 18 months more than anything else and a nice to have would be if it didn't look like it came out of an industrial kitchen. I found this forum trying to research the newer Spirit and Genesis models and stumbled across a rehab thread in the process. I was instantly in love.

I got the grill off CL a little over two weeks ago for $90 dollars. Owner got it as a gift for his 50th birthday in Feb of '99 and it appeared to be relatively well maintained. I replaced the wheels, casters and ignitor (it was still operational, but the housing crumbled on me as I removed it from the FB). Some of the original wood had been replaced and what was left was starting to rot, so I figured better to replace it now than later. Could have salvaged all but two bolts, but opted for SS as this will hopefully be my primary grill for a long time to come. The burners seem to be in okay shape as well as the grates and flavorizers (however I did keep trying to justify pulling the trigger on RCP products throughout this process and likely will eventually). The grates were easily the toughest part to clean up and likely my biggest mistake as you can see from the missing back right bar...turns out cast iron is more brittle than I gave it credit for as I was trying to chip away at gunk.

Anyways. Thanks again. I would still be tearing my thinning hair out in my basement trying to figure star nuts for the cross support and how to re-attach the logo if it weren't for this site.

Very nice rehab Matt, I have that same grill in green that I bought new in 1999. Still cooks like new I've only replaced the FBs with rcplanebuyers SS ones and the ignitor. Still has the original burners. Take care of it and it could last you a lifetime.

Matt, great job looks really nice.

Yep, another Redhead rescued from the landfill. Nice job. Looks a lot like mine, but I have the wire bottom tray where you have wood.

It's beautiful. Nice work. You'll love that grill. I have the same grill But mine has the black hood.

I was in the same boat as you before that. Replacing my grill every 2 to 3 years. One grill (a char broil) didn't even make it a year. That's pathetic. It's so nice to have a grill that works well and that you know is going to last.

Welcome to the club.

That’s a beauty’s! You will absolutely love using it and it will be a conversation piece when friends visit. There is something really satisfying about using something like these classic Weber’s, especially when your personal labors helped bring it back. I would enjoy it the way it is. When it is time for a thorough redo you can give it the rcplanebuyer treatment and it will last you that many more years.

Welcome and enjoy! Hope you caught a little bit of the fever and decide to do another, maybe for family or a friend or even charity. If you find yourself collecting more for your own use you better watch out!

Friend: "Nice grill you got there".
You: "Yah, and it's only 20 years old"

Nice job! You're going to love it !!

Looks very nice. I guess you were doing some serious gunk chipping though LOL. Well worth the investment of RCP internals. They really are not that exorbitant especially compared to OEM Weber product. He's about half the cost. For the enjoyment you'll have knowing those parts will most likely outlast you and even your grand kids well worth the $$$

That is one gorgeous restoration!

Great job! It's really cool to take something old that many would give up on, seeing the great possibilities in it, and making it better than new. Well done.

Nice work!