Costs to Renovate an old Weber 1000, is it worth it?


 
S

Seth G

TVWBB Member
So, with my recent acquisition of an older (1998) Weber 1000, i've started to price out parts and even order them. So far this is what i see as the costs needed to Renovate:

Burner, Ignitor $ Drip Tray: $90
Regulator, Tray Rails & Thermometer: $70
Grates: $149
Flavorizers: $75
Paint $$
Oven cleaner $$

I'm looking at close to $400 to do a complete renovation. Is this typical? Am i OVER renovating? The grates and Flavorizers are just very dirty/a little rusty, so i can hold off on those for awhile.
 
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I'm assuming that the flavorizer bars and grates are from rcplanebuyer. If so that will get you the best of the best.

I would have to say you might need to determine how much you think the grill is going to be used. Many people on here cook almost everything on their grill, if that was what you are thinking then yes I would go that way. If you're going to be a weekend griller then I would revisit your parts list and maybe get the porcelain replacement grates and the porcelain flavorizer bars. They should last for a few years then if you really are happy with the grill upgrade then.
That would cut the cost at least in half.

Even if you go top dollar you will end up with a grill that you couldn't buy for twice the price today.

If you can get by with reusing the grates and FBs that's what I would do before investing a boat load of money and end up not being happy with it or not using it as much as you thought.

Don't get me wrong as I have a 1999 1000 I bought new and it's not going anywhere, it's a great grill. I went so far as to get a 2000 frame for it and added solid cast iron grates and Rcplanebuyers SS FBs.
 
Well, $400 and you have a solid versatile high performance grill. Truly made in USA. Or you can buy a new Weber and pay close to $1000 for made in China and nowhere near the quality. Ya picks yer poison LOL
 
LMichaels said:
Well, $400 and you have a solid versatile high performance grill. Truly made in USA. Or you can buy a new Weber and pay close to $1000 for made in China and nowhere near the quality. Ya picks yer poison LOL
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Thats a good point. I think the issue i'm running into is, i'm restoring 2 grills and only plan on keeping one. I kind of took on more then i was ready for with my first restoration project. Total of $800 for one keeper is to much and there is no way i can sell the 2nd one for $400 to recoup costs.

This weekend i'm going to go over everything with a power washer and oven cleaner and see if the grates or Flavorizer bars can be saved on either grill.
 
I'd just focus on one grill first. They're not too complicated as far as a machine goes, but at the same time, patience and thinking through what you do help a lot. I've done 3 grills so far, and definitely there is something to be learned on each one. If you're looking to restore one and sell the other, try to keep the best of the two for the seller, replace with new for the keeper and try to keep costs down. Assuming they are interchangeable of course.

Have fun!
 
I'd slow roll things and either wait for other grills to pop up and use them as donors, or fix them up and use what you currently have as donors. I mean, drip tray, regulators and tray rails ? Those aren't normal expenses as they are usually there and in good shape.
 
Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that many/most of the parts of the 2 grills you have are interchangeable, to include the drip tray, tray rails, burners, and grates. Hell, even the l/r flavorizer bars are iirc. Also, looking back and the pics of the Gold B, there's some serious rust issues on the bottom of the cart. That could get expensive quick.

Strip what you can from the Gold B, use it on the 1000, keep the rest of the B around to start your parts stockpile.
 
I agree, slow down and maybe even look for a better grill to refurbish. You shouldn't have to replace everything on the grill. If you keep your eyes open, you will find a decent candidate for $50 or less that might only need the grill grate and flavo bars.
I have 4 Genesis grills in my garage and I didn't pay more than $50 for any of them and none of them require as many replacement parts as yours.
 
When I renovated my 2002 Genesis Gold B I spent about $375 total to get it looking and cooking good. I thought it was money well spent. I typically cook on one of my charcoal Weber's, but when I'm in a hurry I use the gasser. I'm sure that it is going to last many years and it is a beast.

Go to the box store and see what $400 will get you, it will be easy to justify after you see what is available at that price point.
 
Pat, comparing against what can be found in box stores is valid, BUT, it can be a bit misleading to simply rely on that. As Bruce mentioned, other candidates will pop up such than one could end up with a beautiful grill for a much lower cost.
 
DaveW said:
Pat, comparing against what can be found in box stores is valid, BUT, it can be a bit misleading to simply rely on that. As Bruce mentioned, other candidates will pop up such than one could end up with a beautiful grill for a much lower cost.
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Great point Dave. I experienced this myself. The first rehab project I bought was a Silver A. Purchased for $80 and it came with 2 tanks. It was so clean that all I did was repaint the frame. I wanted something bigger so I sold it for $100 and then found the Genesis Gold that I mentioned previous. It was more of a project and cost me a few dollars to get it the way I wanted it.
 
Pat G said:
Great point Dave. I experienced this myself. The first rehab project I bought was a Silver A. Purchased for $80 and it came with 2 tanks. It was so clean that all I did was repaint the frame. I wanted something bigger so I sold it for $100 and then found the Genesis Gold that I mentioned previous. It was more of a project and cost me a few dollars to get it the way I wanted it.
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Yeah. I have a couple of grills sitting over at my cousin's property just waiting for me to scavenge for useable parts. Each of them have some issues that make them poor candidates for a restoration, either to keep or to flip. Hell, one of them is a Genny Gold B that was free. It has a rusted out cross member that I don't have the knowledge/ability to fix. Would cost too much to take it to someone to have a new piece of metal scabbed in and welded. A new top frame is close to $150. the numbers just don't add up, so it's going to be a parts grill.
 
Seth G said:
Thats a good point. I think the issue i'm running into is, i'm restoring 2 grills and only plan on keeping one. I kind of took on more then i was ready for with my first restoration project. Total of $800 for one keeper is to much and there is no way i can sell the 2nd one for $400 to recoup costs.

This weekend i'm going to go over everything with a power washer and oven cleaner and see if the grates or Flavorizer bars can be saved on either grill.
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I think you're overspending. You can do it cheaper, either by finding a different grill or by lowering your standards. Do they really need regulators and drip trays? can you just take a sander to the flavorizor bars to clean a bit off? I don't know what RCPlanebuyer's bars cost, but that seems high to spend on the flavoirzor bars.
I personally think if you're going to refurb one of these, you should be changing the grates, burners, ignitor and spending some elbow grease and paint. More than that and it is a money pit or something more than ti started out as by adding super nice wood etc.

I also wouldn't put all that stuff in something you're trying to flip. Honestly, you're not going to get that much out of it.

FWIW, new does not cost $1000. you could have a Spirit for $500 or a Weber Genesis II E-310 for $699. The Genesis II is a nice grill.
Weber Genesis II E-310
 
I agree that you have to be careful if you are refurbing them to flip them. If you are not careful, you could easily wind up losing money or not winding up with anything for your hard work. Definitely don't go with premium replacement parts on a flip. Genuine budget parts or even aftermarket parts will net you the best return.

Some people really like the older grills, but if someone can get a new one that looks like something NASA would take to the moon, then the average guy would likely spend the extra couple hundred for that.
 
Pat G said:
Great point Dave. I experienced this myself. The first rehab project I bought was a Silver A. Purchased for $80 and it came with 2 tanks. It was so clean that all I did was repaint the frame. I wanted something bigger so I sold it for $100 and then found the Genesis Gold that I mentioned previous. It was more of a project and cost me a few dollars to get it the way I wanted it.
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Pat

Take that frame, get some angle iron, maybe from a bed frame, cut to size, drill and bolt it in to make a solid cart and use bolts and nuts with 2x6 boards to build a really solid rolling cart. use it for a rolling workbench, prep table, etc. Best thing I ever did with a parts purchase. cost was minimal as I had all but the hardware around. you will need a grinder to cut the iron and a drill for the holes. Likely a little different from the rust on my frame but should be able to make it happen.
 
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