Resto/Refurb of a "Well-Loved" $10 Genesis 1000LX


 
Ryan RS in Mass

Ryan RS in Mass

TVWBB Fan
Last night while riding home on the train, I was doing my usual searches for Weber grills.

About an hour north of me someone had posted a Weber Genesis 1000 LX for free about 15 minutes before I was viewing the ad.

Now, last night I was responsible for dinner (Cheeseburgers on the Silver A with grilled zucchini and steamed sugar snap peas), so I knew I couldn't make it up there quickly.

I sent the poster an email and told him I'd give him $10 if he held it for me until 8:00PM.

Lucky for me, he was happy to hold it and helped me load it into my truck.

He had many stories about the grill from its purchase to Tuesday, when he "Cooked a bunch of burgers and some steaks on there just to give it the proper sendoff!"

He bought it brand new in 1997 after using a friend's 1000LX at a party - says he had never cooked with anything like it, and immediately dumped his nearly new Charbroil "Olympic Edition" for this $500 Weber Genesis 1000LX.

He said the Durawood lower shelf let go in the last couple of years, but gave me the last remaining pieces of it.

His neighbor just recently gave him his newer 2 burner Spirit and being an empty-nester, he and his wife decided they no longer needed the "big grill."

Other than the missing durawood shelf and the broken caster, the grill is in pretty good shape.

He put stainless flavorizers into it years ago and cast iron grates that are really in excellent shape and have been seasoned properly.

It desperately needs a cleaning as it has heavy carbon build up and certainly has not had the drip/grease trays cleaned recently, but nothing I can't handle.

I'll let the photos say the rest:

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And together with my freebie Silver B that I just posted about:

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I think this one will be a keeper for me - I am interested to see how this deeper firebox with the additional flavorizer bars cooks, as I know several have said they cook even better and more evenly than the later Silvers/Golds, which is all I have ever cooked on.

Plus, it has a green lid, which is nice - something other than black.
 
Ryan, that's daja vu all over again. That's almost my exact story with my green 2000 I bought it new in 1998 as a 1000LX. Same exact scenario I had an old char broil and my neighbor bought a new 1000 LX and I cooked on it and dumped my char broil and spent the $500 for a new 1000 LX the next spring. A few years ago I got Rcplanebuyers SS flavorizer bars and a little later upgraded to CI grates.
Two years ago I did another restore on it and put into a 3000 frame eliminated the side burner added another shelf and a right flip up shelf.
Next year it will be 20 years old and still grilling like the day I got it.
You got yourself a winner, nice find


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[/url]DSCN2766 by Richard Dahl, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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I agree with Rich. My first weber was a Silver B, and I rehabbed it and cooked on it for maybe a year. Immediately contractiing weberitis, I then picked up a 3000, which I restored with great glee. The second time I do anything, it always comes out so much better than the first time. I ended up selling the Silver B because I do like the way the 3000 (which I've converted to a 2000, then to natural gas with a manifold from Rich himself) cooks. I like the deep box, the extra flavorizer bars and this year I splurged on RC stainless grates. It is without question a better grill than you can buy for any amount at the big box stores, and with rotisserie cooking part of the repertoire I could not be happier.

Enjoy the 1000, restore it like you mean it, and show us the pictures!

Slainte!

Tim
 
Looks like a real find. I'm surprised the durawood lower shelf broke though? I was under the assumption that stuff was nearly indestructible.
 
Great find, Ryan! It will make a super nice keeper and you got it at a steal. Keep us posted with the renovation process.
 
Thanks, all!

I must admit I am excited about this one, though I've got a full on case of Weber-itis, so I guess I am excited about them all.

I am going to try to get to work on it on Sunday - going to do a full restore on this, pull it off the frame, paint the frame and the firebox, etc.

Greg M said:
Looks like a real find. I'm surprised the durawood lower shelf broke though? I was under the assumption that stuff was nearly indestructible.
Click to expand...

The durawood didn't break, apparently the metal supports for it rusted out and broke off.
I'm kind of bummed that I don't have it as that's something I'd really like to have - I feel like it is one of the 1000's best features - either the durawood or the real wood as the lower shelf.

If anyone has a durawood or wood lower shelf or at least the shelf surround out there, let me know, I'd gladly pay for it.
 
LMichaels said:
You can make your own. I think 1x2 cedar and buy the Z brackets from RCPlanebuyer
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Woah, I didn't realize RCP has the Z brackets.

Game changer right there for me.

Thanks for the tip, LMichaels.

EDIT: It doesn't appear that he has them on Ebay, so I will have to figure out how to reach out to him, perhaps through his craigslist ad in CA, unless someone would be kind enough to share his contact information with me.
 
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Thanks, Larry!

All set now - going to write to Dave as soon as I determine whether I want all new z-brackets or just those for the lower shelf.
 
Greg M said:
Looks like a real find. I'm surprised the durawood lower shelf broke though? I was under the assumption that stuff was nearly indestructible.
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I'm working on a Redhead and picked up a 1000LX for doner parts. i was under the same impression about durawood. This one had all the slats painted in gray. I hit the first one with the Jet vertical sander and low and behold i think they are ash or some very light wood. Of my 24 only one had rot on one end and that was an easy fix. Also, I numbered them by set since each one has different drill spacing. I've stained them and they are drying waiting for coats of Sikkens Marine Gloss. I'm working on it next week so will post pictures by month end.
 
Jim, I have a redhead that I just got for free the slats you are correct are wood and they are gray. Curious never heard of a Jet Vertical sander I have an orbital sander how exactly did you get them to the natural state little bit worried about sanding them to much.

I believe they were using redwood in those days which is why I want to save mine they are in good shape just need to get rid of the gray.
 
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Jim W G Jr said:
I'm working on a Redhead and picked up a 1000LX for doner parts. i was under the same impression about durawood. This one had all the slats painted in gray. I hit the first one with the Jet vertical sander and low and behold i think they are ash or some very light wood. Of my 24 only one had rot on one end and that was an easy fix. Also, I numbered them by set since each one has different drill spacing. I've stained them and they are drying waiting for coats of Sikkens Marine Gloss. I'm working on it next week so will post pictures by month end.
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Jim,

I believe they went from stained cedar to cedar (or some other wood) painted gray and then to the high heat plastic "durawood" slats which were also gray. The painted gray slats were a fairly short-term transition, I think. Don't see why you can't sand and then stain the gray slats, but Brian is right that if you got too agressive the slats might then sit too low.
 
The durawood slats were made out of recycled milk cartons, very durable but what it is is what it is..
 
Brian B Atlanta said:
Jim, I have a redhead that I just got for free the slats you are correct are wood and they are gray. Curious never heard of a Jet Vertical sander I have an orbital sander how exactly did you get them to the natural state little bit worried about sanding them to much.

I believe they were using redwood in those days which is why I want to save mine they are in good shape just need to get rid of the gray.
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The JET sander is a commercial sander. Google it and you will see. My wood is not cedar but I'm guessing Ash. Not much grain but it stained up pretty. I'm doing touch up stain tomorrow and then Sikkens Marine Gloss next week. I sanded them until the gray was gone but didn't sand the bottoms so I could keep my numbers in tact. I will coat the bottom with Sikkens to preserve the sticks.
 
If you are only doing one grill, buying Z brackets is probably the way to go.
I currently have 5 or 6 that will be needing them. I used my good old local
Harbor Freight to pick up a metal brake a while back and will be making my
over the winter.

https://www.harborfreight.com/30-inch-bending-brake-67240.html

I originally bought the 18, used it once, then exchanged it for the 30 inch.

I used the 25% coupon and got it for about $50.
 
Jon, thanks for correcting me I mistakenly thought they used Redwood back in the early days my first one is from 1996 so it was probably just the stain color that made me think they were redwood. If they were painted gray then will try some paint remover to see if I can get them back to natural.

Jim, that Jet sander is a beast you must do a lot of woodworking as its pretty expensive.
 
Dave in KC said:
If you are only doing one grill, buying Z brackets is probably the way to go.
I currently have 5 or 6 that will be needing them. I used my good old local
Harbor Freight to pick up a metal brake a while back and will be making my
over the winter.

https://www.harborfreight.com/30-inch-bending-brake-67240.html

I originally bought the 18, used it once, then exchanged it for the 30 inch.

I used the 25% coupon and got it for about $50.
Click to expand...

Dave, I actually used to have a metal brake from HF - then I let a friend borrow it and he broke it!

I am pretty sure I will be ordering from RCP for the Z brackets because I am not sure I feel like fabbing my own - and I just ended up with another 1000 that doesn't really need them, but that I think would be even nicer with a set of stainless ones.
Depends on current pricing I think.
 
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