FT-400


 
Spent too much on parts mostly. But, being my first rehabs, the quality wasn't all that great either. I have since had a few rehabs that didn't net me much, but at least were not net losses.

There are really three key areas that you learn in doing rehabs that makes it more profitable.
1. You learn new tricks and techniques that not only get it done easier, but faster and cheaper as well.
2. You find better sources for new parts. If you are ordering all your replacement parts from WEBER, it is nearly impossible to make a buck on a rehab.
3. You start to build up a used parts inventory that is invaluable in saving money on replacement parts and in some instances, they only source still available for many parts.
 
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Bruce said:
Jon, that is an awful nice first rehab. I bet you didn't know about the razor blade trick for the inside of the lid at that time. Was it all just hard scrubbing?
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Nope. Would never have dreamed of doing that with a razor blade, so yes lots of scrubbing and not with Members Mark or other real grill cleaners. When I think about the first grills that I used sandpaper on (in the Florida sun) I have to laugh. A lot of wasted time for mediocre results. :unsure:

AFTER Inside Lid.jpg

I am pretty sure you were the one who told me to get an angle grinder! Probably one of the first to recommend media blasting, too!
 
Jon Tofte said:
That one I am working on in the picture above was my first restoration from almost ten years ago, bought specifically with "flipping" in mind. Like most of mine, it was not much of a flip as I donated it to a charity auction, but it was a fun learning experience. Back then you could still get quite a few Genesis x000 parts from Weber. I spent WAY too much on restoring this "Target" charcoal gray special edition.

In the picture I am scraping off the tile cement the prior owner used to fuse a large piece of tile to the frame to replace the lost tray.

BEFORE
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AFTER
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This was before I found TVWBB and learned from @Bruce, @Dave in KC and others about stuff like using a grinder and lots of other tricks of the trade. I had few tools at the time and cleaned the inside of this grill as best I could with SANDPAPER!!! I am pretty sure my flavorizer bars came from Dave Santana (through eBay). So, I knew a little about him even before joining TVWBB. I probably could have gotten a set of his grates, at that time, for what I paid for the stamped stainless ones.
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I made this poster to explain why this old Weber was so special!
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Jon, this is fantastic and demonstrates such dedication and passion! I think I can say with certainty that I have made zero on pretty much all Weber Genesis refurbs, just dont tell the wife as I have bought many a new grill on the "proceeds"!!

I actually started flipping Weber kettles as they were often very cheap and just needed a good clean so little outlay. The pandemic created a whole new market, with people stuck at home they cleared out the back garden (yard to you guys) and at will discarded the dirty grill taking
up room in the shed.

I was on hand with a truck to help these guys out disposing of there unwanted wares. A difficult time for us all but great for grill flippers!! Eventually I stuck with just the better colored grills as they were of more interest but the UK and Europe are not blessed with all the color options
North America enjoys.

One day, one guy said to me have you ever refurbished a Weber gas grill. The gas grills present more of a challenge and the colored enamel hoods tend to wear better than on kettles so making a grill brand new looking is easier with the gassers imo.

Today, I just refurb grills, dont flip and keep them all! Simple!
 
Paul, I agree. Covid years were good for flipping grills. It was one of those outdoor activities that people could partake in while everything else was shut down. Also, the years with the "Stimulus checks" were also kind to rehabbers. That extra $300-$600 that everyone suddenly had made buying a good used Weber rehab popular.
 
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