Got my Vieluxe, now what??


 
I wouldn’t know where to begin to put a value on one of these unicorns even if it did cross my path. $100, $500, $1000? More? Put me on the “would love to have one list” too, though. It’s a beautiful piece.
You’d be surprised to know I paid less for this than what a new e315 costs. It’s a lot of mass and grill though, I’m starting to sense the impracticality of it, like taking a rolls Royce to a drive thru or haul groceries. My daily driver will still be the Genesis.
 
Yes it's normal and quite dependent on the camera as well. Same burner arrangement as a 1st gen Summit. Xover tubes at back, minus an IR burner. Beautiful cooker. I wish I had those side burners on my Wolf. Can only imagine what the original price would have been then since the head of it cost close to $10k new and the cart $3500.
 
You’d be surprised to know I paid less for this than what a new e315 costs. It’s a lot of mass and grill though, I’m starting to sense the impracticality of it, like taking a rolls Royce to a drive thru or haul groceries. My daily driver will still be the Genesis.
Which is why I still use my Genesis almost daily in grilling weather. Pulling out a 400lb monster to grill 2 burners is a little "overkill"
 
The impracticality of it is no doubt what did it in. Most folks couldn't afford it. Among those who can, how many really need such a beast? My sense of the consensus, even here among grill fanatics, is that it's really cool, interesting and impressive but wouldn't be personally useful. One would need a restaurant or a social life that includes huge gatherings. I could see something like this being great for a church or social organization. Something that could be hauled out of a garage or shed, or from under cover, and fired up every now and again.
 
Yes it's normal and quite dependent on the camera as well. Same burner arrangement as a 1st gen Summit. Xover tubes at back, minus an IR burner. Beautiful cooker. I wish I had those side burners on my Wolf. Can only imagine what the original price would have been then since the head of it cost close to $10k new and the cart $3500.
I'm wondering if the 1st gen Summit burner can be transplanted onto a Genesis 1000 series or Silver series grill. Has anyone tried?
 
The impracticality of it is no doubt what did it in. Most folks couldn't afford it. Among those who can, how many really need such a beast? My sense of the consensus, even here among grill fanatics, is that it's really cool, interesting and impressive but wouldn't be personally useful. One would need a restaurant or a social life that includes huge gatherings. I could see something like this being great for a church or social organization. Something that could be hauled out of a garage or shed, or from under cover, and fired up every now and again.
I don't know. It is like a Mazzerati. It only is a possibility for about 1% of the population and then you need to not only have someone who can afford a 250K car, but wants one. Mazzerati is still making $250k cars.
Sure, a pipe dream for most of us, but for some, a cool birthday present.
 
I don’t think this Vieluxe is so big that it should be viewed as a commercial grill or too large for a family or someone who frequently grills for company. This thing is in the stratosphere because of the materials used and the hand built construction. There was even a smaller Vieluxe for those content to cook on a more Genesis-sized grill.

As far as burners (other than the very nice rear infrared), I don’t think there is much difference between their output and a Summit. It is about the quality of the grill itself and the beautiful grates and extras. That side burner is just spectacular.

There are comparably built grills today such as Larry’s Wolf or Fire Magic - one that catches my eye. They are all pushing $10K or even more. None of them to me have the hard to pin down mystique that the Vieluxe exudes.
 
Before closing it up, I took pictures of parts that are usually hidden from view:

Behind the rotis:
C765D7DA-B0AD-4127-AE5E-FCF6AD502A1D.jpeg

Backside vents:
9E97D658-2C58-4F7F-8428-B160A4A96A0A.jpeg

Drip tray handles:
545202B7-F8A1-48C9-8694-5B9EFEE266B1.jpeg

Propane tank cabinet bottom (my favorite piece, the unsung underdog):
67220594-C61D-4BF6-8A14-D5CBA804BD71.jpeg

D9841BC8-BEE8-4277-9B7D-173984E4D11B.jpeg

EDIT: forgot to include the black painted part:
91E6F01E-0E2D-4919-882C-AA650428215E.jpeg
 
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Roy,
The kinds of "transplants" you are talking about probably push the limits of what can be done without substantial metal working and re-plumbing. More realistic most of the time, I think, would be to buy the model grill that already has the features - and btu output - that you want.
 
Roy,
The kinds of "transplants" you are talking about probably push the limits of what can be done without substantial metal working and re-plumbing. More realistic most of the time, I think, would be to buy the model grill that already has the features - and btu output - that you want.
I'm not saying I want it. I don't know what I want. Just learning and figuring things out. Right now, I have no interest in moving beyond the grills I'm restoring.
 
No offense meant, at all. One of the great things about this board is the ability to share and learn. And, for sure, I don't have all the answers. I have, however, gone down a lot of "rabbit trails" as @Bruce likes to say. I am TRYING to learn from that and share my fiascos freely!
 
No offense meant, at all. One of the great things about this board is the ability to share and learn. And, for sure, I don't have all the answers. I have, however, gone down a lot of "rabbit trails" as @Bruce likes to say. I am TRYING to learn from that and share my fiascos freely!
No worries, Jon. No offense taken. I really appreciate the efforts to impart knowledge. I've learned so much (already, with a long way to go). It's been super helpful.
 

 

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