Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
With parts for so many grills already stockpiled - and with no time to work on them - my wife is right that I have no business buying any more
. I have looked at numerous FB Marketplace, OfferUp and even good old Craigslist ads for months. Passed on some really good deals. But one just kept coming up. Overpriced and kind of faraway...but, it was an ORIGINAL, wide slat, Genesis 3 with the original side burner. A black hood, but otherwise just like the one in the very first Genesis ad (so original, the Genesis name isn't even used!):
So, a window opened up for me, and I went on a road trip Monday afternoon and evening. Way out in the boondocks of rural Illinois I got it and brought it home (My wife was thrilled
!). I was happy, though
.
The hilarious thing was that although this grill was relatively intact for 35 years old - and actually not totally filthy - the owner had poured LAVA ROCKs on top of the flavorizer bars! The Weber guys who worked so hard to design the Genesis, and its game-changing flavorier bar system, would have just passed out on the spot
!
www.weber.com
The flavorizer bars were porcelain plated, as expected, but miraculously looked like they were completely useable. Stainless is way better for durability, but I think it is no mistake that Weber's engineers used porcelain plated on the main flavorizer on the new SmokeFire; it is "slicker" and lets the grease roll off more effectively. (This is also my conclusion for Weber's odd choice to use porcelain plated steel in the front and bottom of the 1st generation Summit.)
Anyway, here is a quick evaluation. I already have this thing tucked away in my shed where it will have to sit for the winter. After which, I plan only to do a "frame on" fix and quicky restore. I will be USING this grill and want it further to stay assembled as a reference model for the other early Genesis 1 and 2 projects I have accumulated and long ago disassembled.
THE GOOD:
One thing I realized about this original side burner: While I like that is sits low and the style of the front controls, the design makes it impossible to have a right-side flip-up shelf. I am guessing this is why Weber quickly changed to the side burner that set up a little higher and had the controls on top. Not as cool looking, but now you can have shelves on BOTH sides and still have a side burner - The Genesis 5 (not including the glass doors).
One last thing:
Check out this maybe ORIGINAL thermometer! I am sure it no longer works, but it looks SO cool:
. I have looked at numerous FB Marketplace, OfferUp and even good old Craigslist ads for months. Passed on some really good deals. But one just kept coming up. Overpriced and kind of faraway...but, it was an ORIGINAL, wide slat, Genesis 3 with the original side burner. A black hood, but otherwise just like the one in the very first Genesis ad (so original, the Genesis name isn't even used!):So, a window opened up for me, and I went on a road trip Monday afternoon and evening. Way out in the boondocks of rural Illinois I got it and brought it home (My wife was thrilled
!). I was happy, though.The hilarious thing was that although this grill was relatively intact for 35 years old - and actually not totally filthy - the owner had poured LAVA ROCKs on top of the flavorizer bars! The Weber guys who worked so hard to design the Genesis, and its game-changing flavorier bar system, would have just passed out on the spot
!
Class Of´85: The Creators Of The Genesis | Behind the Grill | Weber Grills
THIS YEAR MARKS 30 YEARS SINCE WEBER LAUNCHED GENESIS – the gas grill which revolutionized barbecuing like the kettle grill did 33 years earlier.
www.weber.com
The flavorizer bars were porcelain plated, as expected, but miraculously looked like they were completely useable. Stainless is way better for durability, but I think it is no mistake that Weber's engineers used porcelain plated on the main flavorizer on the new SmokeFire; it is "slicker" and lets the grease roll off more effectively. (This is also my conclusion for Weber's odd choice to use porcelain plated steel in the front and bottom of the 1st generation Summit.)
Anyway, here is a quick evaluation. I already have this thing tucked away in my shed where it will have to sit for the winter. After which, I plan only to do a "frame on" fix and quicky restore. I will be USING this grill and want it further to stay assembled as a reference model for the other early Genesis 1 and 2 projects I have accumulated and long ago disassembled.
THE GOOD:
- Has the very rare original side burner with all the external parts looking nice and intact. Haven't tried it, but see further on...
One thing I realized about this original side burner: While I like that is sits low and the style of the front controls, the design makes it impossible to have a right-side flip-up shelf. I am guessing this is why Weber quickly changed to the side burner that set up a little higher and had the controls on top. Not as cool looking, but now you can have shelves on BOTH sides and still have a side burner - The Genesis 5 (not including the glass doors).
- All the original wood is there, including the really old-fashioned wood connectors and simple hinge that Weber used on these first Genesis grills. It may be possible to sand and re-finish. That would be cool!
- The rare and special hinge that Weber first used to hold the swing table is still there
- The very early control panel looks good, and the original black knobs and odd white igniter switch are there. I tested the igniters on both the side burner and grill itself, and they STILL WORKED!
- The drip tray seems reusable (maybe the lava rocks kept them from working so hard!), and the original spot-welded holders for the small drip tray are still attached. Most early Genesis grills I have seen with this setup show separation of the holders - or they are gone altogether.
- The frame parts have some surface rust, but still feel overall redeemable at this point. They seem thicker than some later Genesis models
- This was almost certainly originally a natural gas grill. No tank holder, scale or the original metal bracket for the scale gauge. It looks like they did some off-the-wall hose modification. I would bet nothing to the orifices. Not to worry, as I have plenty of the early manifolds in LP format. I will swap out. I also have plenty of tank holders, the special metal bracket for the gauge decal, and more than one original tank scale with the straight, rather than dogleg, pointer. So, I should be able to make this into a fully original looking LP grill.
- The hood is dirty in the pictures. I tried to clean just a little, hoping to show off some shiny black below. No such luck, the dreaded Weber fade did its thing after 35 years. Not sure whether I will enjoy the patina and keep the old one or swap in something nicer.
- I could absolutely kick myself
. I was kind of in a hurry to get out of there and head back home. The seller helped me slide the grill into my van - which I have done many times without issue - but just as we were getting it in there, the hood flipped open. In the Midwest winter cold that was enough to break one of the hinges on an end cap. STUPID tax, as Dave Ramsey says. Well, I was just glad that it wasn't the firebox. I actually have a number of the early end caps in stock. They are different from the Genesis x000 ones in that the handle holder is open on the ends, showing a little of the longer handle, that these grills had, exposed on each side. I even have an unmatched end cap of this design. Maybe I will be lucky, and it will be the same side as I so stupidly broke yesterday. At least, one way or another, I can replace it.
One last thing:
Check out this maybe ORIGINAL thermometer! I am sure it no longer works, but it looks SO cool:
