My First Grill - Weber Platinum Series II (Blue)


 
Colin W

Colin W

New member
Just got the new grill home! It needs to be repainted, but appears to be in great condition all things considered. There's very little rust to be found, certainly nothing concerning. just a spot or two of surface rust(see pictures). Biggest issue would appear to be that someone painted the interior of the lid at some point in the past.

Otherwise, the grates are still in ok condition and i'm not convinced i even need to replace the flavorizers at this point. We'll see what they look like after a cleaning. The previous owner said that right side of the grill is hotter than the left side of the grill so I'd suspect that the burner tubes need a good cleaning as well.

Anyway, here are the photos:
https://imgur.com/a/rvaUCW6
 

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Colin,
Welcome to TVWBB. That's a great find! Those Platinums with the extra heavy duty frames (from the Summit grill of that day) are not that common. Plus you have the sharp blue hood. Overall, they are fine for restoring as long as your frame is good. Parts for that could be tricky. If you stick to it, you will have a classic Weber that is not like everybody else's!

What you are thinking is paint inside the hood is actually nothing more than carbon buildup. It starts peeling off and looks just like black paint gone bad. With Simple Green cleaner, a razor scraper and then 0000 steel wool, you can make your hood look new! Do some searching here for restoration tips. There's a lot to help you out and we will all be glad to share what we can.
 
Jon Tofte said:
What you are thinking is paint inside the hood is actually nothing more than carbon buildup. It starts peeling off and looks just like black paint gone bad. With Simple Green cleaner, a razor scraper and then 0000 steel wool, you can make your hood look new! Do some searching here for restoration tips. There's a lot to help you out and we will all be glad to share what we can.
Click to expand...

good to know! the shiny, peeling layers of what I assumed were paint had me a little worried. I already picked up some Simple Green on my way to pick up the grill tonight, so we should be all set. I'd put in an online order for curbside pickup at the local hardware store based on what i'd read on this forum. rust-oleum ultra semi-gloss & flat black, wire brush, simple green, and brake parts cleaner. already had a few different kinds of steel wool sitting around...should be enough to get the party started!
 
Sounds good. Just be sure to stick with 0000 steel wool for cleaning porcelain hoods and the control panel cover. Tougher grade could scratch. The razor scraper may seem scary, but actually works great as long as you don't try to dig it in. Just go smoothly but firmly with the flat metal. I like to keep it lubricated with the Simple Green. What little the razor scraper leaves behind, the 0000 steel wool will usually get.

Please post pictures as you progress!
 
That's a nice, hard to find grill. It looks like the one that Jeff MA has. You don't see that side burner and table often and that beefed up frame. The flavo bars should still be good after cleanup. I'd replace the grates with SS rod grates at some point and replace the burners as well as the aftermarket ones are not expensive and work as well as the OEM ones. Looking forward to your progress and final result.
 
I have used the kitchen grade steel wool on the inside of several grill lids without scratching them. Your #000 will be fine. But like Jon says, keep it wet and lubricated when scrubbing.

You have a beautiful grill there. The lid alone is awesome, but that frame and tables are unique and a kind of Weber Unicorn. Keep us posted on your progress and post up photos as you go.
 
Colin,
Welcome to the Forum and nice find!

Like Sam stated that grill is a twin to my Platinum II. Looks like yours is in good shape and should clean up nicely.
Not sure if you seen my restore but it might answer some questions for you along the way.

tvwbb.com

Genesis Platinum Series II Restoration started

The time has come to start the restoration of my 1996 Genesis Platinum Series II. I have my 4900 to keep me cooking so I have plenty of time to finish the job. It started life as this: In about 40 minutes I had it down to this- It came apart pretty easily as the Oversized Summit series...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com

Have fun and post pictures along the way.

Jeff
 
Yep a very nice find. If it's going to be your keeper and you decide to replace flavo bars and grates. Hit up Dave Santana you will not be sorry. His stuff is da bomb. BTW when scrubbing DO NOT touch your grill with Scotch Brite pads. It will ruin the finish faster than you can say "oh shhh_poop"
 
LMichaels said:
Yep a very nice find. If it's going to be your keeper and you decide to replace flavo bars and grates. Hit up Dave Santana you will not be sorry. His stuff is da bomb. BTW when scrubbing DO NOT touch your grill with Scotch Brite pads. It will ruin the finish faster than you can say "oh shhh_poop"
Click to expand...

It feels weird spending several times more than what I paid for the grill on flavos/grates/burners, but I knew that was the deal going in and definitely plan on keeping it
 
Jeff MA said:
Not sure if you seen my restore but it might answer some questions for you along the way.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, your restore is what led me to this forum in the first place! After I decided to get a grill, I kept an eye open for local used grills for sale for a few weeks. since I don't know much about grill models, I would search for info on each model that popped up. The tvwbb thread for your resto is one of the first results for 'weber platinum series' and I thought it looked great all cleaned up so I knew this one was a keeper
 
LMichaels said:
Look at it this way. Spending so little on it makes it more justifiable to upgrade it to the ultimate
Click to expand...

I think if I replace/upgrade everything that is showing some wear(flavo bars, grates, burners, catch pan) or missing(accessory rack, warming rack/basket) i'll be into the grill for ~$500 including the price of the grill($60), cleaning/painting supplies($40), and the cost of driving the truck to go pick it up($10). Still about 1/2 the cost of a comparable new Genesis so I can justify it to myself that way haha! plus it's got the cool factor
 
Colin, I would chime in with Bruce. While Larry is absolutely right that Dave Santana/rcplanebuyer makes flavorizer bars and especially grates that have no equal, it is also true that each person has to look at their budget and do a cost benefit analysis.

For example, you could go with these 16 gauge, 304 stainless flavorizer bars for $50:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07SS7WP63/tvwb-20

And then for another $60 a set of these grates:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B06Y18YRGS/tvwb-20

On the flavorizer bars I really don't think there is much difference at all. On the grates, the ones I linked are, in fact, 430 stainless, but they are very thick and just as tightly spaced as rcplanebuyer grates - but not as thick bars. In all my use of 430 Weber OEM grates, I have never had a problem with rust. The same can't be said for thin sheets of exterior parts like shelves made of 430. These will definitely corrode. So, I think these very attractive grates make a pretty compelling option for less than half of what Dave's - still admittedly the very best - cost.

Again, if you have the money and are good with spending it, you will not be disappointed with Dave's top drawer stuff. I have a set of his beautiful grates and have bought many sets of his flavorizer bars. I only post this to show that you can give your grill a still first class upgrade without spending nearly as much. Bruce, especially, and even I tend to look at this a little more from a restorer's viewpoint where the savings I am showing is the difference between making a profit or just spending a lot of time making someone else a nice grill and getting nothing in return. As an end user your criteria is naturally different.

Here is a detailed analysis of grate options I did last fall that might help you in evaluating popular stainless rod options:

tvwbb.com

Stainless Steel Grate Throwdown Challenge Results

I am still hoping someday to make my first "This Old Grill" episode, but hurricane and family stuff make that unlikely for a while. So, I decided I should at least publish my findings here so that you all can review them and maybe ask some questions. I did a separate page on each set of grates...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
Bruce said:
Colin, you should be able to rehab a $60 pickup grill for far less than that unless you are replacing absolutely everything with top line stuff.
I probably have about $150 in this grill.

madison.craigslist.org

***SOLD*** Weber Genesis 1200 Skyline propane gas grill - general...

***SOLD*** I have a completely refurbished Weber Genesis 1200 Skyline propane grill for sale. The...
madison.craigslist.org
Click to expand...


I guess I'm just might familiar with how to best source parts. If I buy they accessory rack and warming rack from online parts dealers, for example, they're relatively pricey for what they are. Is they alternative to wait for a 'parts grill' to pop up in my area?
 
My advice on the warming racks is to just say no. Almost no grills that I pick up for rehabbing have a warming rack in them. That is because the only thing they do is rust and get in the way. It isn't long before owners simply stick them on a shelf or the trash and just forget about them.
Solid rod stainless steel cooking grates: $60
16 ga Stainless Steel flavorizer bars: $50
new igniter: $8
Stainless steel burner tubes: $20

All on amazon. If you are interested, I will post direct links to the parts for your grill.
The paint to rehab an entire grill is about $20 available at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc...
Colin, your situation is not unique. I see a lot of first time rehabbers spend too much to bring an old weber gas grill back to life. For most, it is fine, a one time thing and they have a fine grill in the end and that is what matters. But, for someone that rehabs these grills, cost is a big issue. Truth be told, my first couple grills that I rehabbed were basically done with zero return on my labor in the end.

If you have any questions or want advice, we are here to help. I am really looking forward to seeing your grill come to life with that beautiful blue lid. Keep us posted.
 
Yah, the racks may seem nice but they'll just get in the way when you cook. And of course the OEM ones will eventually rust. If you do decide to with the racks then I'd suggest getting SS ones. I bought this one and hardly use it...

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00XWBDGYG/tvwb-20

I then found and bought this one which I use more because of the height but I'm not sure if it'll be back in stock again...

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07FNBFYWY/tvwb-20

I'd recommend purchasing the burners, igniter, grates and flavo bars first then if you still think you need the racks (after a couple of cooks) then purchase them afterwards.
 
That’s a lot to put into a grill. Hopefully you will keep this for the rest of your life. David Santana stuff will last a lifetime. Not many vendors will on compete with his grates. They are too expensive to mass produce and not much margin for profit. So he has a strong following on that along with a great reputation. Flavor bars are pretty common and plentiful on amazon along with burners, warming racks, etc.
Spend the money if you plan on keeping this for the rest of your life and want low maintenance. If not, go for tier 2.
 
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