First gasser rehab - Genesis Jr. - Modified with 3rd burner

[Jon Tofte]

I think you are going to have a unique grill . Actually, no doubt about that given the custom burner layout and the custom exterior touches you are using. This will be a fun one to continue watching unfold!

I am hoping to pick up a black Jr. from Bruce tomorrow. We are having a TVWBB "Mini-Meet" as I will be seeing him in person at his home in Wisconsin. My plan is pretty much to try for a "stock" look, but I am trying for the very early design with wide slats, so it will still look different from most grills, even these rare ones.

 

[J Grotz]

I am hoping to pick up a black Jr. from Bruce tomorrow. We are having a TVWBB "Mini-Meet" as I will be seeing him in person at his home in Wisconsin.

More like a TVWBB Summit! Invite Jim Lampe!

 

[Jeff MA]

I am hoping to pick up a black Jr. from Bruce tomorrow. We are having a TVWBB "Mini-Meet" as I will be seeing him in person at his home in Wisconsin. My plan is pretty much to try for a "stock" look, but I am trying for the very early design with wide slats, so it will still look different from most grills, even these rare ones.

That's great news Jon.
I know you had a secret "crush" on the lil' Junior and it's great that Bruce is helping you out.
Don't forget to post lots of pics of this Mini-meet too.

Jeff

 

[DrewZ]

I am hoping to pick up a black Jr. from Bruce tomorrow. We are having a TVWBB "Mini-Meet" as I will be seeing him in person at his home in Wisconsin. My plan is pretty much to try for a "stock" look, but I am trying for the very early design with wide slats, so it will still look different from most grills, even these rare ones.

Congrats. Look forward to seeing it!

 

[Bruce]

It is nothing to look at right now unless you like painters tape on the lid....yah, I think someone was preparing to rattle can the lid.
Jon will bring it back to life however.

Here is a peak at it. Circled in Yellow. Jon will post a better one tomorrow.

 

[Jon Tofte]

I like to show my trying to be patient wife pictures of Bruce’s mountain of grill stuff. At least there is someone who has more than me!

Can’t wait to see what I can do with that Jr. I think a black one is actually very cool. We will post pictures from tomorrow’s get together.

 

[J Grotz]

I like to show my trying to be patient wife pictures of Bruce’s mountain of grill stuff. At least there is someone who has more than me!

Can’t wait to see what I can do with that Jr. I think a black one is actually very cool. We will post pictures from tomorrow’s get together.

I have been known to show my DW some posts and pics from TVWBB that make me seem relatively normal! Of course, compared to a lot of folks around here, I'm a rank amatuer in the Weber grill game.

 

[Bruce]

Women just don't seem to appreciate "Amateur".

 

[J Grotz]

Women just don't seem to appreciate "Amateur".

My DW greatly appreciates that I am not a "Pro" in this field of endeavour!

 

[DrewZ]

Did something yesterday that I haven't done since the mid-90's -- bought propane. Our house came with an old crusty pedestal grill hooked up to the natural gas line. It worked, so we kept it until the mid-aughts when we got our S-320 natural gasser, which is still going strong despite the usual lower body rust.

Anyways, I picked up a freebie curbside propane tank last week. It was pretty rusty and ugly, so I exchanged it yesterday for a nice clean full tank while at Lowe's. If all goes well, I should be on track to fire it up some time over the weekend.

 

[Bruce]

What are you going to use the propane on?

 

[DrewZ]

What are you going to use the propane on?

Oops. In all the commotion, I forgot to mention that I swapped the NG manifold from the 3000 onto the 1000 before flipping the 1000. I kept the 1000's 3-burner propane manifold. The end result of this will be a grill that's approximately 75% Junior, 15% 3000 and 10% 1000.

Here are the original Junior burners -- one as-found and the other after the first round of cleaning:

 

[DrewZ]

Soon . . .

 

[DrewZ]

Started today by taking the remains of the 3000 to the county scrap metal recycling place. As much as I've enjoyed working on the Junior, I don't think I'm up for creating a BrucePile for possible future projects. I started to work down the punchlist on the Junior, but I had to interrupt to run out and get something:

A brand new blue performer bowl and lid popped up on FB marketplace, so I popped it into my Gen 1 performer frame in place of the Crate & Barrel green that I had popped in last year to replace the custom Red Limited Edition that I had popped in the year before to replace the original black bowl. Great timing for a blue to arrive with a red soon to be finished . . .

First bolt into the Junior's frame. Super Corrosion Resistant 316 stainless from McMaster-Carr.

Partially assembled

The thermometer is new--it's from the Performer bowl I picked up today. (Yes, I painted the side bolts with red caliper paint.) I'm optimistic that I can get it up and running tomorrow.

 

[Jason in CA]

(Yes, I painted the side bolts with red caliper paint.)

I really like that. When the time comes for me to freshen up my personal grill I think I'm going to steal that idea.. I've done the red kettle with caliper paint on one rehab already, so I still have a full can of paint because it takes so little to do the kettle on the emblem. Now I know what I can do with some of the rest of the can.

 

[DrewZ]

 

[Bruce]

Umm, with that added double sided burner, that thing is going to be a real GRILL. Have you checked how hot it will get? When are you going to throw some cow flesh on that baby?

 

[DrewZ]

Umm, with that added double sided burner, that thing is going to be a real GRILL. Have you checked how hot it will get? When are you going to throw some cow flesh on that baby?

This was just a dry test run--mainly to test the fabbed-up middle burner. The thermo shot up to 450 very quickly, but then again the probe was directly over bare flame.

I'll feel it out tomorrow with the flavorizers and grates in place. I'm torn between spinning a bird and some sort of high heat meat sear for a first cook . . .

 

[Jeff MA]

Nice job on that Junior restoration Drew.
Glad it went to an owner that will cherish it.

Let us know how that 3rd burner works out with that small cook box I bet it will pin that temp gauge and then some.

Jeff

 

[Bruce]

I would probably do a quick high temp cook for the maiden voyage. Either way, keep us posted.