Talk me into (though too) rebuilding my old Genisis


 
S

Scotty Be

New member
What made me find this site was searching for a Q to replace my ailing Genesis to use as a quick meal maker when I dont feel like messing with charcoal on my Gold. Also, steak. I like burgers, chicken, pork, most everything on the Gold, but when I do steaks, I like to taste the steak not the charcoal. I loved how my Genesis could make a perfect medium ribeye with just enough char in 6 minutes. I had it down to a science. Then...the wheels started coming off. Actually the wheels are about the only thing that still work.
It is an older red Genesis (I believe a 1000) that has served me well and I was ready to put it out to pasture when I found this site and started thinking otherwise...So, should I?
Now it wont even light. Nada, nothing. Not with the ignitor, not with a match. I broke the ignitor button in the proccess and the drip pan fell off when I was messing with it as an explanation point. It has needed new flavorizer bars and grates for a while, so add that to the list. Might as well get the warming rack and hanging basket cause I dont even know where mine are...The burners themselves are stainless and seem fine. Not sure what other hidden things might need replacing under there.
I guess the first question is why would it just not light all of a sudden? Bad regulator? The tank works well on other things so its not that. Then what is the rest of this gonna cost and is it worth it? I would think so compared to getting some generic Walmart grill. Also is there some "how to" posts about disassembling and painting, rebuilding, ect? If its gonna perform like new it needs to look like new right?
 
I think that the rebuild or not decision comes down to evaluating the condition of the "big parts" of the grill:

Q1. Is the cart / frame in good shape?
Q2. Is the housing in good shape?
Q3. Do the valve turn like they should?

If the answer to all questions above = "yes", then it is likely that rebuilding your Weber will probably cost less than a new cheapo grill that will not work as well. Burners, gas line / regulator, and wood slats (if yours has wooden parts on cart) are pretty easy to replace.

If the big components are getting rusty / not solid anymore - then I would say that it's probably not worth the effort, and time to put her out to pasture. (You may be able to sell the housing parts to other members doing restorations if this is the case, and end up with a few bucks to put towards a new one -- Red Heads always seem to be in demand.)

Hope this helps you to make a decision that you can live with.
 
Frame is fine, and the grill box itself is oxydizing some, but overall seems fine. Valves are A OK as far as I can tell, but like I said it doesnt light anymore.
I have seen pics of a painting the frame and housing to almost like new condition. Anyone have any "how to's" on that? Lots of sanding and lots of paint?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scotty Be:
Then what is the rest of this gonna cost and is it worth it? I would think so compared to getting some generic Walmart grill. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Forget the generic grill, rebuilding will cost you a lot less that getting a new Weber. New regulator, ignightor, flavorizor bars, grates and burners will cost you about $300 if you go with stainless steel. The cheapest Weber is $400. If you don't want to do the work and can step down to a lesser grill that's still a Weber, it will cost you about $100 more. If you want to replace what you have it will cost a lot more new.

Also, if you're not too handy, no - it doesn't need to look new when you're done. Clean it up, replace the parts and fire it up. If you're handy, make it look like new and it will be something you'll be very proud of. It's really just a matter of how you want to spend your money and time but refurbishing a Weber is a good value.
 
CL is also an option. Just don't step down to a generic POS. You will be out 200-300 and have a grill that cooks unevenly and dies in five or six years.
 
I should clarify I have no intention of buying a generic grill. Basically I have all my needs covered with my Kettle and now my newly acquired Q. It is just my wife and I. We do however throw a lot of parties and the bigger grill is nice a lot of times.
I have cooked on a good grill to long to go back to crap. So, I gave myself a self imposed $200 limit to rebuild it. I am almost certain the burners are fine as they weren't replaced too long ago. Sounds like I am close and should consider doing it.
And I consider myself pretty handy and certainly have all the tools to do it, so I wanna do it right and make it look nice as well...
 
Easily done under $200. This comes from someone who's done it. My recommendation. On fleabay, look for some flavorizer stainless steel bars that are heavier than the original weber ones. They work like a dream. I got the idea from elsewhere on the board.

I am jealous, though. My rebuild is a brunette, not a redhead.
 
Others have provided good advice.

I suspect the regulator if there is no gas flow. You might also need to replace the tank if it is outdated. If it has the older quick connect, I think that would also require a new regulator and hose assembly which Weber sells for about $25 or $30. An igniter is about $12.

If you are using the grill occasionally, you might not want to spring for the SS flavorizers and grate. The porcelain coated steel will probably last a long time under occasional usage.

Watch Craigslist as well. Parts occasionally come up for sale at prices way below retail. You might even find a free replacement or parts donor. (My Silver B with SS grates and flavorizer bars was a Craigslist freebie!) Likewise with eBay.

My Silver A needed flavorizers badly. (Only three of the original 5 remained.) Someone on this site pointed me to an out of state CL ad and the seller shipped me a set of SS bars for a total of $31.

Good luck finding the parts you need!
 
There is nothing like grilling on an old Weber....
<a href="http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u185/IHookItUuup/Weber%20Grill/?action=view&current=webernewlid9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u185/IHookItUuup/Weber%20Grill/webernewlid9.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
webernewlid9.jpg
 
Jonathan,

Which black high temp paint did you use? I just tried spraying Rustoleum High Temp black and it looks very flat, almost grayish. Which brand and color got your deep semi-glossy black?
 
Lots of great info mentioned already.

Here is my Genesis after I rahabbed it:

PB063181.jpg


Check out my posts here and here for some additional info. There were lots of great suggestions made and I tried to post about the process I took.

Also, check out Jonathans post here about the process he took.

George it looks like he used doug fir on his. I used pine. Mine sits under a covered patio and it hasn't weathered at all.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Justin,

I know this is an old post but could you re-post the links to your restoration details. I can't get these to work. I'm about to start a restoration on a 1999 red Genesis 1000 and would love some tips.

Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top