Crimson SS performer restoration

[MARoan]

I picked up a 1995 SS Performer yesterday for $100 here locally. Overall, not the best or the worst shape from what I've seen/heard from some of you.

The good- kettle and lid are overall in good shape. Little to no frame rust, especially in the the cart. All original parts are still there and working, including the propane tank.
The bad- Don't think the previous owner ever cleaned the grill. Build up is heavily caked on. OTC system is broke, and the screw on the bottom of the kettle is stuck. Even with a few different sprays of different products, it is not moving. Tank has been expired for a few years, so I don't know if the ignition system is even working. Screw holding the lid bale in place is also stuck in place as well. Grates are very rusty and going to need to be replaced. Table is scratched heavily in spots. Wheels don't roll at all.


Going with a complete tear down/ restoration. Ordered new charcoal and cooking grates, thermometer, and one touch cleaning system today. Already had a lid bale as well. Wish me luck on my first complete restoration!

 

[Bruno]

Looks nice!! I need a performer!

 

[Dave Mazz]

Nice find. I'm restoring my 2002 SS Performer. Teardown went fairly quickly. In the process of sanding and painting the frame. Weather is the issue, cool and rainy. Going to convert over to 1lb disposable propane tanks.

 

[MikeLucky]

That looks really good, actually. Here is the thread showing mine. I just got it fired up and I'll tell you, it's already my favorite Weber I've owned out of the dozen or more that I've owned over the years. This one will be staying in my collection maybe for good. I love it that much.

My free redhead SS performer that I need to finish up

So, a little over 2 years ago a friend of mine was posting pictures of some work being done in his back yard. He posted this picture: He had a tree removed and they damaged his power pole. Of course my immediate comment was that he needed to take care of his poor performer. He immediately...

tvwbb.com

 

[Kyle in Woodstock]

Nice looking grill. Tear down on those is pretty simple. Soak all the stubborn bolts in Liquid Wrench spray each day and after a few days you should be good. You might have to cut the nut off the one touch cleaning blades.

Some parts you might need once you get it apart:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00T3NC8NC/tvwb-20

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07TK56RQZ/tvwb-20

If you plan on keeping it a while, you might as well replace all the nuts and bolts with stainless steel. Just take you old stuff to Ace Hardware and find nice SS replacements. Pretty sure all of them are 1/4-20 threads.

And for the frame, sand it down, then a couple coats of Rust-Oleum paint will do the trick.

Barkeeper's Friend works well to clean the SS table.

Use some Simple Green and a razor blade to clean the inside of the kettle.

Weber Grill Restoration: Interior and Exterior Kettle Cleaning - Weber Kettle Club

Cleaning years of crud out of someone’s old Weber BBQ is not a fun job. BUT, with a little TLC the end results can be downright shocking and well worth the effort. Even kettles that have been neglected for 30+ years can be brought back to life with a little steel wool and a razor scraper. This...

weberkettleclub.com