Spirit 700 needs new legs (or perhaps shoes)

[HankBates]

We still are using our Spirit 700 which we bought new in the mid nineties (I think, our records don't go back that far).
We have kept everything going over this time, now have cast iron grates and stainless flavorizer bars after going through several sets of pressed steel.
I now see that the plugs I put into the non castered legs during first assembly have done their job too well, as both legs are rotting out from the inside.
Looks like a simple fix would be to just put some 1" square steel tube inside the solid upper portions of the legs and anchor both at the proper height, but the parts replacer in me makes me want to look for a way to put on a leg frame with casters from a newer parts grill.
Any advice on which grills could be good leg frame donators? Where can I find parts interchangeability?
How to proceed, is the KISS way best?

 

[Bruce]

I am not sure on this, but if the Spirit 700 cook box is the same as a Genesis 1000 cook box, you could probably find a curb alert Genesis 1000 and use that frame.

Otherwise, I suppose a simple fix would be to cut off the legs above the rust area and use a 1" square tube inside it and then on the bottom, put another piece of 1.25" frame tube over the 1" piece so it is back to the right height. Maybe this time, make it shorter to accommodate caster wheels.

 

[Jeff MA]

Richard,
How far up the legs is the rust?
If only at the very bottom you can cut off a small piece and add the casters like I did with my Spirit 700 and make it like it's big Brother, the Genesis 1000.

Jeff

 

[Bruce]

Yah, Jeff is right, the rust is probably not so bad a 2-3 inches up the leg which is about how much you would have to cut off to add casters and still have the grill level.

 

[Joe Anshien]

I also back Jeff's idea. I did the same on a flipper. It was a surprise that it did not have casters. A little measuring, a hack saw, and these wheels from Amazon and it came out level and was definitely better as I like grills that roll. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WEKMRU/?tag=tvwb-20

 

[Jeff MA]

See here for my Spirit 700 restore-

Weber Spirit 700

When I was moving my pics over from Photobucket to Imgur recently I noticed that I hadn't shared any of the pics with you guys about the first Weber I purchased brand new, my Weber Spirit 700. The year was 1999 and my Wife and I had just moved from our apartment into our first (and still...

tvwbb.com

I think I removed around" 2 inches or so off the bottom of the frame. Just grab some of these and measure the difference.

Amazon.com

Jeff

 

[Jeff MA]

I am not sure on this, but if the Spirit 700 cook box is the same as a Genesis 1000 cook box, you could probably find a curb alert Genesis 1000 and use that frame.

Bruce,

The Cook Box on the Spirit 700 is the shallow 5 Flavorizer Bar Box. A Series B frame would probably work.

Jeff

 

[Bruce]

Thanks Jeff. That would be interesting to know for sure if the 700 is the same cook box as a Silver B. I am sure someone knows and will chime in.

 

[Chris Binny]

I have one of these out in the yard, it's a 5 bar model. I think in that 25 year run of that style of casting, they only had deep box and shallow box. I don't know of a 3rd. Replacement parts lump the old spirits in with the silver series too. If there is a specific critical dimension, I'll happily go pull a tape.

 

[BPratt]

The 700 Spirit firebox is the same dimensions and mounting as a Genesis B/C

 

[BPratt]

Here is one I had. Please note the side table is not correct for that model. The original one was burnt with a hot pan.

 

[HankBates]

Thanks for all the great responses.
Never occurred to me to just cut and add casters.
My hammer tells me the legs are solid a couple of inches up, so I ordered the casters from Amazon.
If cutting shows there is still a problem, I know what to search for in a parts machine.
More later with resolution.

Really like this machine, I got a mammoth DCS grill from a family member and chose to sell it and keep the Weber

 

[Bruce]

Richard, good choice.

 

[Jon Tofte]

I agree with Bruce. I had a TEC stainless grill that I tried out for a while before flipping it. It was interesting, but I enjoyed cooking on my Genesis with GrillGrates and a smoker box underneath a lot more.

 

[HankBates]

Worked great! Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff, and the link, Joe.
Followed the link, Amazon delivered in a day.
Now for another 25 years......

 

[Bruce]

Good job. Yep, it should be good for another 25.

 

[Jeff MA]

Worked great! Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff, and the link, Joe.
Followed the link, Amazon delivered in a day.
Now for another 25 years......

You are welcome Richard. Nice to see another 700 saved.

Jeff

 

[HankBates]

To follow up on my prior posts, I dug out of our records the original owner's manual and used the information attached to register (a bit late, but better? late than never) it with Weber. The receipt showed purchase date 5/7/1994, the manual, S/N PL7-15032, and the grill itself, P/N 570000 all of which would not take on their registration website screen. They did it manually and came up with no serial, and part 571201. Probly means that I have a very early Spirit 700.....

 

[Bruce]

Yah, I don't think any grills prior to 1994 are able to be registered on the Weber site.

I beleive your grill, while purchased in 1994, was actually an earlier year of manufacture.

 

[Jeff MA]

From what I can gather up PL7 signifies 1993 model.

Jeff