Was just gifted a Genesis 900 !


 

JamilKs

New member
Aloha~ This is my first post trying to get my new-to-me Weber grill up and running. I’ll try and post some pictures as I rehab the old red-top.
To make it functional, at this point, I need a center burner and Weber doesn’t sell just that. At some point a crossover pipe would be good too…
The firebox has some holes in it and the slider brackets for the drip tray are barely hanging on.

I have some skills with sheet metal and am thinking to use some stainless steel salvaged from a fridge door to rebuild the floor of the firebox, perhaps using SS rivets, then anchoring the slider brackets to that.

I’m also thinking that I can make a drip tray (apologies for not knowing all the correct terminology and I hope the idea comes across…) either from the same stainless or maybe some galvanized sheet metal like what is used for furnace plenums etc.

The enamel (?) red finish of the cover is in excellent shape and I’ll get some high temp paint for the sides of the cover and the rest of the box.

The wood slats need to be replaced and I’ve seen mention of teak in a post but wondering about more locally available alternatives.

We;ve wanted a grill for some time now but couldn’t justify spending the hundreds that some new ones cost, and seeing so many of the newer (mostly SS ones) offered for free on Craigslist and Nextdoor and seeing their poor condition, realizing that some of that may be from lack of or poor maintenance, but also seeing a quality difference in many newer things…..planned obsolescence reigns supreme…heh heh.

Anyway, open to any suggestions or ideas some of you who have infinitely more experience with these grills than I do.
 
Jamil, I don't think I would waste any time on the cookbox if it has holes in it. Your grill uses most of the same parts that a Genesis Silver B has. You can usually find those used on Facebook marketplace, offer up, or Craigslist for next to nothing. I would find such a grill and either use it's parts to fix yours properly, or just refurbish that grill. They aren't all worth saving.
 
I am pretty much with Steve here. It sounds like your grill is pretty far gone. You should be able to find a better candidate for rehabbing.
Your grill sounds more like a "parts grill" candidate at this point. But, if you really want to bring that one back to life and have the skills, it might be possible. I would look for another grill (Genesis 1000 family) and between the two, you should come up with a good frame, good cook box and hopefully a decent drip pan. I use cedar for my Genesis 1000 family grill rehabs. You can use many types of wood, but some just are not cut out for outdoor use. Teak oil on the cedar works well.
It sounds like a new set of burners is in order. You don't need genuine weber burners and the aftermarket ones are much less expensive. A new set will come with the crossover tube.
But, I agree, rehabbing on older Weber is much better than paying 4 to 5 times as much on a new one that is made in china.

 
Please tread lightly here. Galvanized steel is never used for cooking/serving/food storage/utensils. Galvanized basically means zinc plated, and the zinc is toxic. When you heat it, even the fumes are toxic. Look for stainless steel.
 
I think he is only considering zinc plated on the drip tray which should not be a problem. He was considering SS for the cook box. But Scott brings up a good point and I am sure there are grills out there with various pieces of plated steel inside the cook box for one reason or another.
 
That is a great grill for rehabbing. But just keep in mind that most of the parts on that will not transfer to the Genesis 900
 
Jamil, I don't think I would waste any time on the cookbox if it has holes in it. Your grill uses most of the same parts that a Genesis Silver B has. You can usually find those used on Facebook marketplace, offer up, or Craigslist for next to nothing. I would find such a grill and either use it's parts to fix yours properly, or just refurbish that grill. They aren't all worth saving.
Steve, aloha~ Thnk you for taking the time to share your thoughts! I guess I will keep looking but in the meantime, see if I get this one functional, now that I have it.
I DO acknowledge my tendency to spend 5 hours fixing something that I could replace for $10….heh heh, and need to learn to let go of some things.
 
Just make sure you don't invest too much time and money into it. But, I get the desire to take on the challenge.
 
I am pretty much with Steve here. It sounds like your grill is pretty far gone. You should be able to find a better candidate for rehabbing.
Your grill sounds more like a "parts grill" candidate at this point. But, if you really want to bring that one back to life and have the skills, it might be possible. I would look for another grill (Genesis 1000 family) and between the two, you should come up with a good frame, good cook box and hopefully a decent drip pan. I use cedar for my Genesis 1000 family grill rehabs. You can use many types of wood, but some just are not cut out for outdoor use. Teak oil on the cedar works well.
It sounds like a new set of burners is in order. You don't need genuine weber burners and the aftermarket ones are much less expensive. A new set will come with the crossover tube.
But, I agree, rehabbing on older Weber is much better than paying 4 to 5 times as much on a new one that is made in china.

Bruce, I appreciate your input!
That green top you posted looks brand new, unused. Is it something you rehabbed? If so, kudos on an excellent job!
 
Please tread lightly here. Galvanized steel is never used for cooking/serving/food storage/utensils. Galvanized basically means zinc plated, and the zinc is toxic. When you heat it, even the fumes are toxic. Look for stainless steel.
Scott, thank you for your words of caution! As Bruce mentioned, I am/was (not sure now….heh heh) planning to use the stainless in the fire box and galvanized for the drip tray. Do you think that the drip tray heats up much? My wife is particularly sensitive to environmental toxins and I would be reluctant to expose her to more.
 
That is a great grill for rehabbing. But just keep in mind that most of the parts on that will not transfer to the Genesis 900
Yup, if it were me I would skip the 900 and pick up/rehab the Silver C as replacement parts are easier to find I believe. But I must resist the urge to go get it as I don't need another grill (says the wife).
 
Yep, I rehab several grills a year. That is one already spoken for. I also have a blue head Silver B waiting for a buyer right now. There are several rehabbers on the forum.

 
LMichaels, thank you for your input! So do I understand that I can use just the fire box and keep my lid? I like the looks of the red top…heh heh
The lid will work on basically any Genesis three burner grill from 1985 to 2005. The cook boxes changed between the Genesis 1000 and Genesis Silver/Gold B and C models however....so they are not interchangeable between grill eras.
 
Just make sure you don't invest too much time and money into it. But, I get the desire to take on the challenge.
Without actually seeing them “live” how would I know if the fireboxes are interchangeable? There is currently a Genesis Silver with a bad back burner valve offered free. Does it have the same firebox with the middle port covered up?
Also you mentioned aftermarket burners, do I just search the web for burners for a 900 or is the length/configuration fairly standard on a 3 tube set-up?
Also, is the Silver mentioned above likely to have the same drip tray?
 
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Scott, thank you for your words of caution! As Bruce mentioned, I am/was (not sure now….heh heh) planning to use the stainless in the fire box and galvanized for the drip tray. Do you think that the drip tray heats up much? My wife is particularly sensitive to environmental toxins and I would be reluctant to expose her to more.
I have absolutely no idea. That depends on too many things, and I'm no expert. The only intelligent thing I might say is that I have scraped hard, baked on crusty gunk from drip trays before, so I imagine at some level they do get hot. I've never touched or checked one.

I happen to live in northern NJ, near one of the world's largest deposits of zinc ore. I could tell you more random stuff about zinc and galvanized steel, but none of it would help you make your decision.
 
Yep, I rehab several grills a year. That is one already spoken for. I also have a blue head Silver B waiting for a buyer right now. There are several rehabbers on the forum.

Excellent work! Do you sandblast the fireboxes to get them so pristine?
 

 

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