1st Gen Summit 6 Rebuild


 
J

John-jatyy

New member
Hi All,

I am new to the forum here (and Weber rebuilds), so appreciate all of the help I can get on this one. I have done my research on what I could find on this model in previous posts -- so thanks for all of the great information thus far.

I found this 1st Gen Summit 6 burner on craigslist for $50. I have not bought it yet because I want to make sure it's not a lost cause. LMichaels has had some great info throughout the threads on the quality of this grill, the manufacturer defects (front of fire box), and what it would take to rebuild and make this a lifetime grill.

The front of the fire box looks to be in good shape (pictures attached/below). Otherwise, the seller says that it works and he uses it all the time, but recommended replacing the entire burning mechanism. Also looks like it needs new knobs (seller said he couldn't find out where to find replacements).

Curious what you all think of this project and if it is worth pursuing. What would it cost to replace the guts? Where is the best place to buy replacement parts for this model? Does anyone know where I can get a custom SS panel for the front of the fire box to make it last longer? Do I even need that at this point?

Again - appreciate all of the help I can get here. Thank you all in advance for the guidance!

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That burner hole on the far right is already going down the road of disaster. The others will follow, but the grill does have some life left in it. $50 is cheap but you will either have to replace that front panel in the not too distant future or scrap the grill as it will become a fire hazard with flames and heat exiting through those ports back towards the valves and manifold.
The problem is, that while $50 doesn't sound like much, by the time you start replacing other parts and doing a lot of cleanup work on it, you will could wind up with a sizeable investment in it just as the front panel starts giving way.
 
Can't help but laugh at the first sentence of your response :ROFLMAO:

Not sure what it entails to get a custom stainless steel front panel... is it worth doing that up front and then enjoy 10 more years of this grill?
 
If you can get a stainless front panel for the grill you are probably good for well over 10 years
 
"If" is the operative word... how do you track one down?

Also - where is the best place to buy replacement parts for this model?

I just got a few more pictures and (i think) looks in great shape for its age... i will share if people are interested
 
If you want a stainless one, you will probably have to have 1 custom made. amazon.com is probably your best source for replacement parts. There are others. But you also can get parts off of other grills
 
If you can get that firebox piece made of stainless it will be a lifetime grill. FO SHO. The burners are VERY heavy gauge 304SS and will last a very long time and you can simply make Xover tubes if you had to
 
John-jatyy said:
"If" is the operative word... how do you track one down?

Also - where is the best place to buy replacement parts for this model?

I just got a few more pictures and (i think) looks in great shape for its age... i will share if people are interested
Click to expand...
Yes post more pictures. We love pictures. That grill does look in great shape. That rust does not look bad to me, but I am more of an optimist than some. I would think that if it is just surface rust and you catch it early, it could be treatable. Remove the panel, grind or sand rust. Treat with rust reformer, a little high heat epoxy putty if even needed, and high heat paint. That could give it a lot more life. How is the inside of the cabinet? That is important.
 
I like that stainless body panels. If they fit a Genesis I would buy it just for that alone. The wheels and side burner look standard also. I am just thinking parts in case it wares out or you change you mind. You do want Natural Gas right?
 
ask and you shall receive!

nat gas ok for me... i have read on the threads here that converting these to propane not the easiest

i look at the new weber summit 6 burners for $3k and think this is a great alternative

i just don't know where i would find this SS firebox piece ... kind of a deal killer if im buying to scrap her down the road
 
Hey John, From my perspective, I think you have the coolest large grill Weber ever made. It has a unique, old-fashioned Weber look to it and was built like a tank, except, unfortunately, that rust prone firebox. As you are seeing, the front is the worst.

I have the 4-burner version - purchased from Larry Michaels. When my tax season is over, one of my first projects is to find a solution for this firebox issue. Of course, the dream solution would be a complete replacement of the porcelain-coated regular steel parts with thick gauge stainless. While this is feasible, I have to believe it would also be prohibitively expensive because of so many bends and cuts. So, my current idea is along the lines of having flat stainless plates made with matching burner holes that can be used to “sandwich” both sides of the firebox front. I am thinking using small stainless bolts to clamp the pieces together. It wouldn’t be an elegant solution, but it should buy another ten years of use. It would not be visible when the grill is assembled.

I think saving some of these super special first generation Weber Summits is a worthwhile undertaking. I hope you will try to find a way to give it a new life rather than just parting it out and seeing another of these last remaining classics be lost.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Hey John, From my perspective, I think you have the coolest large grill Weber ever made. It has a unique, old-fashioned Weber look to it and was built like a tank, except, unfortunately, that rust prone firebox. As you are seeing, the front is the worst.

I have the 4-burner version - purchased from Larry Michaels. When my tax season is over, one of my first projects is to find a solution for this firebox issue. Of course, the dream solution would be a complete replacement of the porcelain-coated regular steel parts with thick gauge stainless. While this is feasible, I have to believe it would also be prohibitively expensive because of so many bends and cuts. So, my current idea is along the lines of having flat stainless plates made with matching burner holes that can be used to “sandwich” both sides of the firebox front. I am thinking using small stainless bolts to clamp the pieces together. It wouldn’t be an elegant solution, but it should buy another ten years of use. It would not be visible when the grill is assembled.

I think saving some of these super special first generation Weber Summits is a worthwhile undertaking. I hope you will try to find a way to give it a new life rather than just parting it out and seeing another of these last remaining classics be lost.
Click to expand...
Yes, two 6 burner big dogs showed up here in NJ last month and i'm kind of kicking myself for not getting either. Didn't need them and don't have room yet, but something about those old school summits. They were nat gas and i'm running on propane, but probably easier to run a gas line then convert these.

Overall, I don't think that front part can cost that much. I've never seen it as an independent metal piece to draw it up or send a pic to a guy. Gotta be under $200 (and i'm hoping $100) to replicate and that is a big lofty estimate because of regional issues, material shortages, and the funky world of 2021.
 
I will definitely be looking into that fix, too. As I said, that would be the classy solution for sure.

One thing I have thought of with the flat plate sandwich pieces is that if you could get a run of pieces made to cover two burner openings they might work on both the four and six burner Summits - 2 or three sets accordingly. Making a run of these parts wound hopefully bring the per unit price down lower.
 
During my Summit journey last month I had some work done by a local fabricator. Unfortunately the cost of steel has doubled in the last year, so this is not a good time to try to make a run at rebuilding those plates. For a thin piece of stainless 20 gauge cut to the same size you're looking for I paid $60, and that didn't include any fabrication that would be needed for the burner tubes.

Another point that always seems to get missed is the bottom of these Summit fireboxes. It is the same rust prone steel. Although not nearly as serious, I think that anyone looking to rebuild these right should replace those panels as well.
 
You are probably right Brandon. The drip pans on the Genesis Grills are basically the same porcelain coated steel that those panels in the Summit Cook boxes are made out of. We all know how they hold up after a decade or so of being bathed in grease and grime.
 
Yep, I love the 1st generation Summits, but they are not for the faint of heart or suitable for flipping.

I will report fully on what I find out around here. Metal prices rising - like everything else - will just make that all the harder to do cost effectively. Also, I think 20ga is probably too thin for inside the firebox. Using thicker stainless will drive it up even more ☹️ .
 
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