2nd Chance for a True Weber Classic: A 1998 1st Generation Summit 450
- Thread starter Jon Tofte
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- restored summit
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
FINALLY! A 7-MONTH ODYSSEY COMES TO FRUITION
I say 7-month, but if you count from the time from when Larry sold me this grill in October 2020, it has been well over 2 years that this grill has waited for a new lease on life!
To chronicle the last steps, in hopes that this meandering thread will be of help to future restorers, here are the last things I completed:
1.) Worked on the manifold. I was able to open one valve and do the full cleaning and lubrication steps found here on a great video Chris recorded doing this on his identical Summit and based on Larry's @LMichaels method. Unfortunately, the other three burner valve head screws didn't want to budge. I was in no mood to strip them and went with the more basic cleaning and externally applied lubricant. Happily, they all work fine, and on this Summit, they lock up and down in three positions as marked on the control panel.
I also cleaned and applied POR-15 to the exterior of the manifold. There wasn't a lot of rust, but you can see that it was needed in the trouble spots such as the bracket and where the igniters go:
With the POR-15 applied I don't expect anything to worry about for a long time.
2.) After the manifold dried, I installed two new igniter sets. You can still buy a double set specifically for this Summit, but they are pricey and just like the ones for a Genesis x000. I had those in stock, so I used a pair of them:
One little issue with adding those stainless-steel reinforcements is that the metal is now thicker that the igniter's bendable holding clip has to go though. It was still enough to work adequately:
3.) With the igniters done, it was on to the fun stuff of installing the knobs and front trim panel.
I couldn't leave well enough alone and added some red to the "mountain top" in the Summit logo. I think it ties in with the red kettle on the Weber logo.
The last step was waiting on flavorizer bars. Larry gave me a very useable set of high grade stainless bars, but I had to push this project all the way over the top
. So, the old set will ultimately be cleaned up and stored away along with some other extra parts I have been cleaning and carefully boxing up for future needs. I will have a drip tray (can you believe it that you can actually STILL buy one of these?!!!), a set of burners, an upper rack, and these extra flavorizer bars.
To get replacements, I reached out to Dave Santana (aka "rcplanebuyer"). He told me that I was right that these bars are identical in length to the shorter ones used on 13-bar Genesis grills. However, Dave said that he makes those in 16 gauge while the Summit ones are a thicker 14 gauge. It was good to touch base with Dave, and we even had a nice phone conversation. Dave says that he has made a couple sets of his famous grates for people who pursued him for them. However, the current price for a set of Genesis x000/Silver/Gold grates is now $250, plus shipping. Dave knows that is a non-starter for most people, and he doesn't want to advertise that he makes them for that reason. But, if you can afford them, he will make them. Dave made and shipped my flavorizer bars lightning fast.
I was very excited to get these as this was THE LAST STEP! Dave's flavorizers were, as usual, top drawer:
Oh, and you probably saw earlier above my humorous fiasco with the Weber handle light. Well, my wife years ago bought me a stainless-steel movable light which I have been using on my Skyline. I cleaned it up, and now have a workable night grilling solution. Funny thing is that this Summit's shelves are real 304, non-magnetic stainless, so this light has to just sit in the shelf, its magnet being of no help!
So, she is DONE! A dream at long last realized.
I say 7-month, but if you count from the time from when Larry sold me this grill in October 2020, it has been well over 2 years that this grill has waited for a new lease on life!
To chronicle the last steps, in hopes that this meandering thread will be of help to future restorers, here are the last things I completed:
1.) Worked on the manifold. I was able to open one valve and do the full cleaning and lubrication steps found here on a great video Chris recorded doing this on his identical Summit and based on Larry's @LMichaels method. Unfortunately, the other three burner valve head screws didn't want to budge. I was in no mood to strip them and went with the more basic cleaning and externally applied lubricant. Happily, they all work fine, and on this Summit, they lock up and down in three positions as marked on the control panel.
I also cleaned and applied POR-15 to the exterior of the manifold. There wasn't a lot of rust, but you can see that it was needed in the trouble spots such as the bracket and where the igniters go:
With the POR-15 applied I don't expect anything to worry about for a long time.
2.) After the manifold dried, I installed two new igniter sets. You can still buy a double set specifically for this Summit, but they are pricey and just like the ones for a Genesis x000. I had those in stock, so I used a pair of them:
One little issue with adding those stainless-steel reinforcements is that the metal is now thicker that the igniter's bendable holding clip has to go though. It was still enough to work adequately:
3.) With the igniters done, it was on to the fun stuff of installing the knobs and front trim panel.
I couldn't leave well enough alone and added some red to the "mountain top" in the Summit logo. I think it ties in with the red kettle on the Weber logo.
The last step was waiting on flavorizer bars. Larry gave me a very useable set of high grade stainless bars, but I had to push this project all the way over the top
. So, the old set will ultimately be cleaned up and stored away along with some other extra parts I have been cleaning and carefully boxing up for future needs. I will have a drip tray (can you believe it that you can actually STILL buy one of these?!!!), a set of burners, an upper rack, and these extra flavorizer bars.To get replacements, I reached out to Dave Santana (aka "rcplanebuyer"). He told me that I was right that these bars are identical in length to the shorter ones used on 13-bar Genesis grills. However, Dave said that he makes those in 16 gauge while the Summit ones are a thicker 14 gauge. It was good to touch base with Dave, and we even had a nice phone conversation. Dave says that he has made a couple sets of his famous grates for people who pursued him for them. However, the current price for a set of Genesis x000/Silver/Gold grates is now $250, plus shipping. Dave knows that is a non-starter for most people, and he doesn't want to advertise that he makes them for that reason. But, if you can afford them, he will make them. Dave made and shipped my flavorizer bars lightning fast.
I was very excited to get these as this was THE LAST STEP! Dave's flavorizers were, as usual, top drawer:
Oh, and you probably saw earlier above my humorous fiasco with the Weber handle light. Well, my wife years ago bought me a stainless-steel movable light which I have been using on my Skyline. I cleaned it up, and now have a workable night grilling solution. Funny thing is that this Summit's shelves are real 304, non-magnetic stainless, so this light has to just sit in the shelf, its magnet being of no help!
So, she is DONE! A dream at long last realized.
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Steve Hoch
TVWBB Diamond Member
Fantastic job Jon! It's too nice to use now, just make it part of the permanent collection 
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
Just WOW... I hope you have someone to leave it to in your will, as it will hopefully outlast ya after all that work;-}
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
AND NOW IT'S JUST A GRILL
Saturday was an extraordinarily warm January day for Indiana. I rolled my Summit out from my glassed-in porch turned into an office and into the light of day. I did two separate, long burn-offs, one on low and the next medium, then high, to make sure all the paint, POR-15, RTV, etc. was well cured.
This Sunday afternoon, it was time for a shake-down cruise putting my dream grill to work doing ribeyes. After so long, and many hours of work and research, I admit that it was a little hard to give up my museum-piece grill to practical use. After all, though, the dream was to GRILL with it!
So, no more spotless inside and out and no more bright silver stainless. But, hopefully years of great and enjoyable cooks ahead as I learn to get fully acquainted with the nuances of this dream come true grill. Thanks, Larry, for giving me the opportunity!
Saturday was an extraordinarily warm January day for Indiana. I rolled my Summit out from my glassed-in porch turned into an office and into the light of day. I did two separate, long burn-offs, one on low and the next medium, then high, to make sure all the paint, POR-15, RTV, etc. was well cured.
This Sunday afternoon, it was time for a shake-down cruise putting my dream grill to work doing ribeyes. After so long, and many hours of work and research, I admit that it was a little hard to give up my museum-piece grill to practical use. After all, though, the dream was to GRILL with it!
So, no more spotless inside and out and no more bright silver stainless. But, hopefully years of great and enjoyable cooks ahead as I learn to get fully acquainted with the nuances of this dream come true grill. Thanks, Larry, for giving me the opportunity!
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Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Larry,Amazing work Jon. Sorry I got so discouraged with it. LIfe would have been easier for you. OTOH you likely would have never gotten your mitts on it
You certainly have nothing to be sorry about. It was not right for Weber to abandon its warranty, and you even tried with donor parts to keep it alive. It would have frustrated most anyone into abandoning it - especially with a Wolf sitting on your deck!
Truly the key to this whole thing was finding a nice sheet metal shop who was willing to help solve the firebox problem with good workmanship at a realistic price. Without that, everything else I did to restore this grill would have been pure folly.
I am grateful for the opportunity to buy this special grill from you. I am just glad the long wait has been finally justified.
p.s. I like my steaks medium well!
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Steaks are on (the Wolf) any time you like. Gorgeous work. Brings back memories. I did call sheet metal shops in the area. They either would not talk to me or would quote prices so high it would have been cheaper to buy another grill. I will be very interested to know how the patch panels work over time and hold up. I forgot to ask. Did you apply a patch on both the inside and outside of the firebox? Or only one side. If one side I would think it best to do it on the inside
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I will be watching how they do as well. I chose to only do the inside as these pieces are 14 gauge. As it turns out, doubling up would have presented some issues with installing the igniters.
I used that high heat “food grade” RTV. I had a lot of reservations but the alternative of using bolts would mean drilling through the porcelain and introducing new rust points. If the RTV fails that option is still available. After putting it all together and seeing how the clips that hold the flavorizer bars also press on the stainless reinforcements, my concern about them not staying on was greatly lessened,
I used that high heat “food grade” RTV. I had a lot of reservations but the alternative of using bolts would mean drilling through the porcelain and introducing new rust points. If the RTV fails that option is still available. After putting it all together and seeing how the clips that hold the flavorizer bars also press on the stainless reinforcements, my concern about them not staying on was greatly lessened,
Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
Man that is an over the top restoration. The red mountain on the Summit! You know it’s crazy when your grill lives in your office.
That belongs in the grill version of Jay Leno’s garage.
Now you and Chris have the same grill, right?
That belongs in the grill version of Jay Leno’s garage.
Now you and Chris have the same grill, right?
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Yes, a little crazy for sure! I have to use my office to store clean, dry-painted parts and assemble the grill since it is way too cold and damp here in the long Indiana winter
to do much in my shop or even my garage. Even in the summer, with A/C it is a better place to allow parts that have been painted and are dry to the touch to rest and fully cure.
I would love to have a "Grill Museum!" That's a real non-starter with my wife, though
.
@Chris Allingham and I have pretty much identical grills now. He was kind enough to send me some photos of his grill to help me past some assembly uncertainties the not-so-great schematic didn't show very well. It does feel great to join the 1st generation Summit club! Maybe someday I will try to do another one. Too many unfinished projects in the pile right now.
to do much in my shop or even my garage. Even in the summer, with A/C it is a better place to allow parts that have been painted and are dry to the touch to rest and fully cure.I would love to have a "Grill Museum!" That's a real non-starter with my wife, though
.@Chris Allingham and I have pretty much identical grills now. He was kind enough to send me some photos of his grill to help me past some assembly uncertainties the not-so-great schematic didn't show very well. It does feel great to join the 1st generation Summit club! Maybe someday I will try to do another one. Too many unfinished projects in the pile right now.
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Sorry, for not seeing this from last year. Chris pointed it out to me.
So far, I have had not seen any issues with the RTV holding on the panels. It doesn't hurt that the clips for the flavorizer bars go right across these panels. While that isn't enough to hold them in and of itself, it does give some extra support. I use my Summit quite a bit, all year 'round, so I think I am a good tester!