NOS Spirit worth $330?

[Mike in CT]

I have been looking for a used grill on FB passively for several months. Reading the posts here and elsewhere for guidance on what to look for, I wanted a clean Genesis gold/Silver or X000 3 burner with stainless internals/

I came across the grill pictured below yesterday and spoke to the lady selling it. She says it is new an she's never used it. Speaking to her on the phone she is an older lady selling her home and moving. From the picture it looks like an old style Spirit with the knobs on the side. The grates look like SS.

I have a few questions for the experts, Were there Spirit's with SS internals? Is this from the Spirit model family with the rust issues i've read about? And most important, should I buy this grill for $330 with cover or keep looking.? I need to make the decision early a.m. today so any advice most appreciated.

 

[Jon Tofte]

That's a rare find! That may seem high, but when you consider that it is essentially brand new, you are getting something that to have something close otherwise would take hours of work and new parts.

You should know, though, that this was made in China. After they came out with the 300 series Genesis grills they offloaded the old Silver design to China to save production cost, stripped it down a little (note the simple, plain control panel and lack of fold-down trays), and rebadged it as the "Spirit." It actually wasn't such a bad idea, because you at least could still buy a grill with the classic Genesis layout.

The one you are looking at is one that I don't think I have seen before. It obviously was the high-end model of these rebadged Spirits. I wouldn't doubt that this included the stainless internals. Also, they threw in that not very common left hand side burner.

If you have NG I personally think this is a winner as a personal use grill. Not a super bargain, but not a rip-off either. I think it would be a very nice grill. Keep that inside cabinetry clean and dry. Wax it. That's where your trouble with rust will begin. If at all possible, store it in a shed or garage to keep it out of the elements.

 

[Dave in KC]

That's a pretty nice find. The only thing wrong with that grill is the cabinet and primarily the floor. Take care of that and you've got a heck of a deal. After my recent experience with a brand new Genesis II, That spirit is a much better grill for half the price.

 

[LMichaels]

It's far more worth it than the new ones. This one is more like a true Genesis. Note it's NG not LP don't be one of those who think "I can put new orifices in it and convert it". You can't (at least not effectively). But yes I would try and get it about $50 less but would not feel guilty for her asking price

 

[Bruce]

That's a pretty nice find. The only thing wrong with that grill is the cabinet and primarily the floor. Take care of that and you've got a heck of a deal. After my recent experience with a brand new Genesis II, That spirit is a much better grill for half the price.

Dave, what did you NOT like in the new Genesis II?

 

[Mike in CT]

I ended up passing on this one. I don't have a NG line at the moment. I think I'll stick to looking for a X000. I like the idea of having a deeper fire box and 2 tiers of bars for an even cook with less flare ups.

Browsing CL, this just popped up locally for $200, looks like an X000 to my novice eye. Any opinions on what model this is and if it would be a good candidate to refresh (if not rusted out)? What would be a fair offer?

 

[Bruce]

That is a genesis 3000 I believe. It is basically a Genesis 1000 with the longer frame and side burner. It would be an excellent option for a restore. It looks complete and in pretty good shape. I don't know if I would pay $200 for it however.

 

[JohnS NJ]

I'm in the NE like you and these can be had for less than 100. More so depending on the condition. The weather we have up here does cause rust to form in particular the bottom bars that hold up those durawood tables. I do see some rust on those screws in the front where the firebox sits. The cast iron grate is upside down. The flavor bars seem to look ok. Weather is getting warmer and likely the prices will too. I would personally wait until next week as people are getting new grills this weekend look to unload their old ones.

 

[Mike in CT]

I'm in the NE like you and these can be had for less than 100. More so depending on the condition. The weather we have up here does cause rust to form in particular the bottom bars that hold up those durawood tables. I do see some rust on those screws in the front where the firebox sits. The cast iron grate is upside down. The flavor bars seem to look ok. Weather is getting warmer and likely the prices will too. I would personally wait until next week as people are getting new grills this weekend look to unload their old ones.

Great idea. Will be interesting to see what pops up over the next couple weeks

 

[Dave in KC]

Dave, what did you NOT like in the new Genesis II?

Disappointed with the overall quality, construction and feel.
Thinner materials, and just kind of a general cheapness feeling.
The cooking grates are paper thin, as is the case with the new
MB gravity feed, It just does not feel like a grill that will last
25 years. Good thing they are warrantied for 10 years.
EDIT**** My experience was based on a generic entry level
model.