1998 Platinum "resto"

Hey everyone! First post here. My name is Dean, and I'm from Edmonton, Alberta ( Canada )
This is my first Weber, (I have a vermont castings that is starting to show its age, so instead of dumping money into it I figured I would look for a nice older weber to cleanup) I love the more mid century sort of look with the wood slats.

Anyway! I ended up finding a free Platinum after missing a few other ones for free or sub-$100. It seems like I got a pretty good on to start with that has been taken care of.

The Control panel is in pretty good shape (the button and knobs are pretty faded though so if i can find some new ones I will replace them.)
IMG_6891 by DeanerF, on Flickr

Firebox is good, just needs a good wire wheel. I stripped the left side to frame bolt and had to cut it, and ended up nicking the inside of the box with the disk. Oh well!
The two bolts from the inside that mounts the gas manifold on the outside (with the wing nuts) I can't get these out even after soaking them in kroil and pb blaster, along with heat. I think they might just stay in while i clean and paint the firebox.
IMG_6890 by DeanerF, on Flickr

Manifold is in good shape. The drip pan and holder have seen better days though. These seem pretty easy to get for new ones. (right from Weber probably?)
IMG_6892 by DeanerF, on Flickr

The burners are actually really good still, but there was a set of brand new burners on a local buy and sell for $20 so i picked them up just because. Lid is good, but the sides will need a quick spray too. The enamel has some weird issues though.
I also have a question about the temp gauge, Ive been trying to find the correct one. The type I keep getting when searching doesnt seem like it is the right type. Should it not be threaded from the back, or is it actually a long smooth type that just sits in the opening? Does anyone have a photo of how it mounts
IMG_6893 by DeanerF, on Flickr

The mounts for the "wood" is pretty flaky, but I think I will just clean them up and repaint for now. I actually didn't know these slats were not real wood until I had it home and was pulling them off and noticed the "wood" was melted in one spot. I plan to remove the fake wood and replace with real wood, not sure what type yet.
IMG_6894 by DeanerF, on Flickr


On to the bars and grill! It had stainless flavorizer bars in solid shape, just dirty so I degreased and gave them a quick brush. The grills were the stamped (?) enamel coated style. kind of falling apart. I looked at a few options and decided I will just make my own new ones similar to the thicker aftermarket versions. Using 3/8" 304L round stock.
(What do most of the aftermarket types use for spacing between the bars?)
IMG_6895 by DeanerF, on Flickr

Now the issue (?) with the lid.
I thought at first it had some white overspray from something on it. After cleaning the top it actually looks like the enamel coating is pitted, almost as if it was shot with sparks from grinding or something. Then I was thinking again, and since I have never actually seen a genesis upclose before maybe they are all like this. Is anyone else's lid like this?
IMG_6896 by DeanerF, on Flickr


Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for the help on my resto!

Dean, welcome aboard. GREAT FIRST POST! WOW!

The thermometer will be smooth, not thread. It slides in the
opening, and simply clamps into place. It is meant to be
removable.
Your lid is starting to develop the dreaded fade that so many
of the black lids eventually succumb to. There is no fix. You
still have a great grill there.

Please allow me to be the first of many that can not wait to
see the finished product, especially considering that you will
be making your own stainless grates. Please share with us
the photo documentation of the process. You obviously have
a few tools and skills that most of us do not.

Looks good so far! Can’t wait to see more pictures of your progress.

Cool you can make your own grates. IMO tighter spacing is best. Allows you to do smaller items without the fear of losing them through the bars. Since you have the ability my bet would be to keep spacing at 1/4". I would have to measure but I had some custom made for my Wolf and asked for that and I love them

Dean,

Welcome to TVWBB! Wow! You are jumping right into it. I agree with you about the "classic" Weber grills with slats. They have a charm something along the lines of an old Jaguar that the new grills just don't have. Even though yours has what is called "durawood" slats, those are nice in their own way. Since it sounds like you are going to replace them with real wood, I would suggest you hold on to the durawood ones or maybe offer them up for sale here. Maybe someone else in Canada is looking for some and would benefit from lower shipping than from the US.

You definitely have all of our curiosities up about making your own grates! Looks like you obtained the best material. Please do share pictures of the process of making them. As far as spacing, Larry is right about tight spacing giving a secure hold for smaller food items. I personally tend to like them further apart because I seldom if ever do small items and like to do "cross-hatch" sear marks that I think look better when spaced a little further apart. Different ideas are all part of what makes this hobby fun, so do what you think will work best for you!

Don't feel bad about some fade on that black Platinum hood. It is very common as Dave stated. I have a black Skyline hood that also has fade on the top. I consider it a minor inconvenience to be able to enjoy having a special hood. So, if I were you I would just go with it. You don't see those old Platinum hoods every day. If it makes you feel any better, you can "wax" it with some spray Pam and may find that the fade is temporarily reduced. It will come back as soon as it cooks off, though.

Great first post! We will enjoy your restoration story as it unfolds.

Dean, the following grates are 3/8 grates sold by RCPlanebuyer on ebay or craigslist that are widely considered the best-at least until you finish yours. I think the spacing on these are 3/8, which is about right. If anything, I would increase the spacing of these 1/16th or 1/8th, but wouldn't decrease the spacing.


Anyone know what specific differences made the Platinum a Platinum beyond the lid? Was it durawood in place of real wood? Special grates?

And is the lid fade unique to lids with graphics-Skylines, Platinums, etc. I haven't seen it on plain black.

Just to add a little information, the thermometer is meant to slide out because it doubles as a meat thermometer.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I would just leave the manifold bolts where they are. They tend to get rust-welded to the firebox, and as long as the threads are good, I see no reason to remove them.

Unfortunately, we have some "holes" in our Weber catalog/brochures that you can check out here thanks to Chris' efforts to pull many together. The 1998 models are in one of those holes. My guess is that back then the "Platinum" name mainly referred to the durawood slats and probably some extras. I have noticed that Platinums close to this time frame also showed slightly higher heat specs. Apparently they had slightly larger orifice openings. Maybe this had that as well.

All black hoods are subject to fade. Some old ones seem to do fine and others do not. Probably variances in the manufacturing process. It is true, it seems, that at least on the Skyline hoods this problem is especially common.

I agree with your assessment about spacing. This is one of those things where some like it one way while others like it another. Here are a couple pictures of sear marks that show tightly spaced ones from cast iron grates on a Weber Q vs. widely spaced ones from GrillGrates. Not interested in debating GrillGrates again but show only to illustrate a pretty significant difference and the results very tight vs. wide spacing produces. Again, if you enjoy doing certain vegetables, shrimp, etc. tight grates will definitely help you enjoy your grilling a lot more. If, like me, that isn't an important (or maybe not at all) part of your grilling, then you may prefer wide spacing:





For the other extreme, here is the Weber GBS sear grate that makes VERY widely spaced sear marks:



Everyone has to pick what works for them, but hopefully this gives members some visual help with that.

Hey Dean! It's Ken here in Ottawa. I have control knobs and a thermometer for you. The knobs may not be as good as yours, but you are welcome to them. I will post photos when i get home tonight.

Also, try soaking your control knobs in a diluted bleach bath overnight. It makes them look new-er. Not brand new...but much much better:

6 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/182392810@N04/

Hi Dean, another Canuck here. You might not want to get rid of the black enameled catch tray. Those are getting rare. I just replaced the bracket as the new tray that came with it was aluminum. Try cleaning with simple green, a razor blade scraper and 0000 steel wool. Your resto is looking Good! I am just starting mine. Keep us posted with pics.

Richard.

First off, wow! I was not expecting this kind of response to my post and questions! Thank you.

Dave in KC said:

Dean, welcome aboard. GREAT FIRST POST! WOW!

The thermometer will be smooth, not thread. It slides in the
opening, and simply clamps into place. It is meant to be
removable.

Click to expand...

THyde said:

Just to add a little information, the thermometer is meant to slide out because it doubles as a meat thermometer.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I would just leave the manifold bolts where they are. They tend to get rust-welded to the firebox, and as long as the threads are good, I see no reason to remove them.

Click to expand...

That makes sense now with the thermometer, all of the pictures Ive seen of the replacements just didn't look like a typical style for in the hood so it was throwing me off.
I decided to leave the bolts alone too, so good to see someone else suggested it as well. The bolts themselves are actually in really good shape, but they just won't budge.

Ken I said:

Hey Dean! It's Ken here in Ottawa. I have control knobs and a thermometer for you. The knobs may not be as good as yours, but you are welcome to them. I will post photos when i get home tonight.

Also, try soaking your control knobs in a diluted bleach bath overnight. It makes them look new-er. Not brand new...but much much better:

Click to expand...

Hi Ken! The bleach solution is a great idea, I didn't even think of trying that. I'll give it a shot on the knobs and rocker switch.
What would you want for your control knobs and thermometer just in case?

Richard in NS said:

Hi Dean, another Canuck here. You might not want to get rid of the black enameled catch tray. Those are getting rare. I just replaced the bracket as the new tray that came with it was aluminum. Try cleaning with simple green, a razor blade scraper and 0000 steel wool. Your resto is looking Good! I am just starting mine. Keep us posted with pics.

Richard.

Click to expand...

Good to see a few Canadians on here.
I was actually thinking the same thing, try cleaning this one up and still hold on to it.

The aftermarket parts for these seem the same as aftermarket parts for classic cars. Always better to try and use originals parts and refurbish them instead of going straight to the "new" aftermarket stuff as it is usually cheaper materials and quality!



I also noticed the larger slide in grease tray is getting a little crusty/rusty around the edges. I've found a couple replacement options, but im curious as to the quality of them too. The little z-track that it sits in will need to be replaced either way as it is pretty rough, but I am trying to decide if i should clean the tray itself up as best as I can with some POR15 to protect the rusted spots from getting worse or just replacing the whole setup with new aftermarket

Dean, both the trays I had on the Silver and 1000 had some rust on the edges. Both had slightly jagged edge on the front where you pull it out, on both I just took a metal flat file and smoothed them out on the sides and front then on the first one sprayed some high heat in a paint cup and just touched up the rusted spots with an wide artist brush short money for a package at walmart, for a little protection wiped them down with acetone first.

On the second one I had bought a can of this good to a 1000 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Krylon-Hig...ay-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-32-oz/1000459777

Easier than spraying into a cup but a quart unless you have other projects most likely overkill but I have used it on 2 grills already and starting a 3rd. The only think I don't like about it as it really clumps at the bottom of the can you need to really stir it in as otherwise its too thin.

Rusto also sells this in quart can maybe it does not clump so much no experience with it slightly a bit more.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ol...ar-B-Que-Black-Enamel-Paint-7778502/100645381

I also use the brush around the control panel as there will sometime be some rust around the edges so I just hit them after cleaning. I just run the brush around the edge you can't see it from above but even if its a small amount you won't notice it.

The bleach thing works 95% of the time. A green scrubby or #0000 steel wool with some bleach solution will clean them up beautifully after they soak a while.

I personally wouldn't worry about a little rust on the big drip tray. As long as it is serviceable and does it's job, there is little reason to replace it. If you do, just look for one off a donor grill. Don't pay for a new one.

Ken I said:

Also, try soaking your control knobs in a diluted bleach bath overnight. It makes them look new-er. Not brand new...but much much better:

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, Ken! I tried scrubbing mine with simple green yesterday. Much better but not like what you have done. Will try your tip later today.

Ken I said:

Hey Dean! It's Ken here in Ottawa. I have control knobs and a thermometer for you. The knobs may not be as good as yours, but you are welcome to them.

Click to expand...

Also, I was surprised how expensive the Canadian Postal System is for you Canucks. My friend has a defective kettle from a Canadian manufacturer. He contacted them about the problem since it's still under warranty. They said mail the kettle back to them and they'll send him a new one. The shipping cost will be around $17. Not worth it since it cost around $20 new. I suggested that maybe he could mail it in Canada since his wife goes to Ontario a few times every summer. Well, looked up the rates for a 1lb box and it was over $20!

No charge bud I don’t need them...you cover the shipping and I’ll ship em out regular mail. Just need your address. BTW there are only 3 knobs, I don't have one for the side burner. Therm works for sure I've been using it for almost 10 years its built to last!

IMG_3367 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/182392810@N04/

Brian B Atlanta said:

Dean, both the trays I had on the Silver and 1000 had some rust on the edges. Both had slightly jagged edge on the front where you pull it out, on both I just took a metal flat file and smoothed them out on the sides and front then on the first one sprayed some high heat in a paint cup and just touched up the rusted spots with an wide artist brush short money for a package at walmart, for a little protection wiped them down with acetone first.

On the second one I had bought a can of this good to a 1000 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Krylon-Hig...ay-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-32-oz/1000459777

Easier than spraying into a cup but a quart unless you have other projects most likely overkill but I have used it on 2 grills already and starting a 3rd. The only think I don't like about it as it really clumps at the bottom of the can you need to really stir it in as otherwise its too thin.

Rusto also sells this in quart can maybe it does not clump so much no experience with it slightly a bit more.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ol...ar-B-Que-Black-Enamel-Paint-7778502/100645381

I also use the brush around the control panel as there will sometime be some rust around the edges so I just hit them after cleaning. I just run the brush around the edge you can't see it from above but even if its a small amount you won't notice it.

Click to expand...

I cleaned it up and got a better look, its actually in pretty good shape still. I am just going to do what you have and touch up the edges that are a little crusty. Should be good for many more years.

Ken I said:

No charge bud I don’t need them...you cover the shipping and I’ll ship em out regular mail. Just need your address. BTW there are only 3 knobs, I don't have one for the side burner. Therm works for sure I've been using it for almost 10 years its built to last!

Click to expand...

Wow, that would be awesome! I will send you a private message. Those control knobs look slightly different than mine but they are in much better shape! I gave them a better scrub and they seem like they are actually degrading and starting to crumble in some spots so this is greatly appreciated!


I went out today to pick up some supplies and paint. It turns out the rustoleum Ultra High Heat isn't available in black here. Home Depot, Lowes, and others only sell Copper, Silver and Brown. Even the Rustoleum canadian site doesn't list it , while the US site does. I picked up the regular rustoleum high heat "BBQ black" for the firebox and the sides of the lid, and a can of Tremclad High temp "Gloss Black" for the frame and whatever else will need to be done. I am going to try looking around for something that is more of a Satin or Semi-gloss black for the lid sides as I think I would rather that look. The firebox being flat shouldn't bother me too much.

I also flipped the firebox over to look at the slides/tracks that the grease tray slides into. They are in a lot worse shape than I first thought. I also managed to break two of the screws holding one side down. Then i ended up breaking a few drill bits while drilling the broken screws out. All part of working on old rusty things I suppose!

IMG_6914 by DeanerF, on Flickr

Yah, those slide rails are pretty typical. And so is breaking off the bolts holding them on.

Haven't done a ton of work, other than use a couple cans of oven cleaner and pressure washing everything.

I did pick up another grill today for $20 though!

IMG_6959 by DeanerF, on Flickr

Cant find the same date sticker as my other one, just some sort of gas certification or something stamped '89?

This one is in good shape, the lower rails drip tray and the small trip pan are all pretty much new. Frame is good, and the side burner is mint.
Pretty happy with it, so now i can use the two and make one nice grill with the sideburner!

Oh my, that's a genesis 3, isn't it?

That new grill looks great!