I cleaned up all the parts in my driveway, and painted the cast aluminum parts, cut the gen 1000 grates to fit, cut a well used set of Gen 1000 flavorizer bars to fit, and reassembled it. Connected a propane tank, fired it up on the first click, and it was ready to cook on. It continues to cook well, seemingly just as well as my 100 and 3000, and has continued to do so to this date. In fact, it is my preferred grill for normal cooking for me and my wife. So much for that fear of mine….
Next, now that I really like it, I proceeded to make it look more like a well kept 3 year old grill, rather than a 30 year old.
Burners are the original issue with plastic spider guards, I only removed them, cleaned them and replaced them.
The stainless (?) thumb screws holding the manifold in place were frozen, so I soaked them with PBBlaster, and used a power wing nut driver from Amazon with my drill, and they both eased out. The manifold and burners work fine, so I reinstalled them with the wing nuts and a spirit 700 manifold support bracket which I bent to shorten and make it fit.
The cook box was found to be In excellent condition, as well as the porcelain drip tray, and its support rails. The smaller catch pan is also porcelain steel and supported by the original designS wire holder.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN1JNQH8/?tag=tvwb-20
I replaced the used flavorizer bars with a new Gen1000 set which I also cut down, hack saw worked fine,
I replaced the grates with 7mm stainless rod grates from Qulimetal, a set originally intended for a Spirit 200 (they were a lot less expensive than a set for a 1000) . they are 17.5” long and fit perfectly.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q83HYZ4/?tag=tvwb-20
I had a nearly new upper table from a 1000 with good matching wood in my basement, so it found a new home.
I reused all the wood in the remaining tables, with a coat of spar urethane, and all screws were replaced with #8x5/8 stainless black oxide finish screws.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VG9PMKW/?tag=tvwb-20
Since there was no sign of rust damage anywhere on the frame, I did nothing other than when remounting the cook box a 2” stainless bolt was used.
It had come with a very well rusted warming rack, so I replaced it with a stainless one intended for another, front control Spirit 200, which I also cut to fit.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0823B6MNX/?tag=tvwb-20
A good unobtainium igniter panel which I painted and mounted an excellent decal and a red plunger 7509 igniter were all installed.
I replaced the slightly rusty axle shaft with a length of 3/8”stainless rod, and replaced the wheels with better condition later Weber wheels.
I removed the old style drop table bracket with a newer end bracket, but then had to replace the table supporting rod (the newer plastic bracket requires a longer one). Never liked the old style…
After cooking once and going through contortions to replace the table support rod in its bracket, I replaced the support bracket with a later slider design. It was hard enough to get the rod stowed on the left side, but worse on the right, because the tank is in the way. There was surprisingly little interchangeability between the two designs – the l-shaped rods were different lengths, and even the location of the middle bracket on the tray had to be adjusted to make the tray level in the upright position. Perhaps one reason contributing to why this design had such a short life?
Since I had a little wood left over, I installed a “half” table to the left of the box. Easy to cut a single Zbar to support it. If you saw my post a few days ago about cooking buffalo burgers, you will see that I put it to near instant use with a McClellands Islay on the rocks).
Finally, a Unicook 50” grill cover.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYZLBF1L/?tag=tvwb-20
I have it to the point where I can really enjoy it. I think that if I had been the one to buy it new (instead of the 93 Spirit 700) I think it would still be the same as it is now. I couldn’t be happier!
I certify that no Juniors were harmed in the execution of this project. All non-consumable items which were removed are safely stowed.
Lastly, I would like to thank you all for the guidance which has been given me as a member of this community. I also would like to thank Bruce and JonTofte for their urgently needed material support.
