Green Machine. A grill barely alive...

[Douglas Perry]

"Tri-Tip nominal. Fuel load nominal.”

"Here comes the heat. All vents are open.”

"I've got a blowout! Vapor three!”

"Tri-Tip is gone! Lost all control!”

"Flight con! I can't hold it! Loosing altitude!”

"I'm breaking up! I'm break—“

 

[Douglas Perry]

Green Machine. Weber Performer. A grill barely alive.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology.

We have the capability to make the world's first bionic grill.

Green Machine will be that grill.

Better than he was before.

Better…

Stronger…

Hotter.

.

 

[DCloin]

Looks like a great restore. Way to save a great grill. Enjoy.

 

[Rich Dahl]

Great rebuild. Did that puppy dump a live load of coals, if so that had to be scary.

 

[Pat G]

Nice restore Douglas, and great cinematography.

 

[ChuckO]

Excellent thread Doug. Congrats! Green is mean

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Fun story but, I guess I don't quite understand the crash? Nice rebuild. Have you named it "Steve" or "Lee"?

 

[Douglas Perry]

So the grill is named 'Green Machine' and he has been blown down those concrete stairs twice over the years because of thunderstorms and high wind. Weber makes some good stuff but the way the top frame attaches to the legs is a weak spot... especially after 17 years of internal rust slowly eating away the tabs. I'm sure Weber didn't engineer the frame for these circumstances. Ha!

Green Machine was like an old jalopy... wobbling around so I took him apart and pondered my next move. A new 26" Weber was beckoning me the past couple of months but decided he deserved a second life... he was my first Weber Kettle after all!

Welding the frame back together was the only cheap way to salvage the grill... I didn't really want to spend the money on a new top frame. He's stronger than ever now! Welds could be cleaner but he looks great from 10 feet back!

It was good cooking up burgers and corn today! Green Machine is back!


Thanks!

 

[Rolf Jacobsen]

Flippin' awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[WB Zipf]

What you have done here is nothing short of miraculous! Seeing through the damage and rescuing what others would have abandoned is a testament to your vision and love of BBQ, sir.

Hallmark should make a made for TV movie about the love you showed to this old grill (I am wiping away the tears as I type).

 

[Ron G.]

If you have continued problems with high winds on the elevated deck, and if the Green Machine is usually used in the same spot - maybe consider rigging-up some sort of weighted contraption to secure to the bottom of the cart - perhaps one of those water-filled collars used for Patio Set Umbrella Bases (if you can find one that fits under the cart frame) with a post and clamps or heavy-duty tie-wraps?

Could keep it from doing another "Green UFO" impression and ruin your nice handiwork...

 

[EricG]

Wow, glad to see that it you were able to fix it. Great re-furb!

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

To add weight to my set up, I used patio bricks. Under the kettle, a 16x16 and filled the other part with 4x8 (single size)
just finished the re installation after have the wire (undercarriage) slip when moving it for a roofing project.
I decided on that after I added a little brickwork patio and had a few leftover. I keep finding uses for the darned things all the time!

 

[JimK]

Great job!

Was worried that thing went over the side with a full load of lit coal.

 

[Steve Lenz]

nice restore!

 

[Greg Y]

Steve Austin was my hero when I was a kid. I never missed an episode. Good job on the grill.