A couple of weeks ago I came across a 1990 Red SSP and picked it up for $60. The cart is in very good shape, but the kettle had a small hole in it and the straps inside are somewhat weak due to rust. As I went through the cleaning process, I found more rust where the straps were welded to the inside of the kettle. The straps aren't at the point where they will fall off, but a couple of them are somewhat close to breaking if I bend the part that holds the bottom grate. I repaired the small hole with SS fender washers, but I was a little uneasy thinking this RH would be up to the task of being my primary kettle.
I figured I'd call Weber just to see if they had any suggestions or what, if anything, they could do for me. I called Weber CS and got a very knowledgeable female rep who was super familiar with the 1990 SSP. She told me they didn't have any red replacements, but only black ones (of course). I was about to say, "thank you" and hangup, when she asked me to hold a min so she could check my Weber ID. Apparently, my Weber ID showed that I had 7 registered grills (many of them gassers, which I no longer have). She then asked if I would mind if she did some shopping for me for a replacement kettle and that she would discount it for me. After a few minutes, she offered me a new black kettle (lid & bottom), new ash catcher, lid bale, handle, thermometer, and hardware for about $134. (I told her I already had grates and a new set of fins). So, I went for it and I received it all in less than a week.
I decided to mount the new black one on the SS cart and build the Redhead as separate kettle. I had an extra set of legs and triangle so I added those to the Red kettle and attached a brand new BBQ Dragon removable shelf I received for Xmas.
I haven't cooked on either yet. After moving the units around a little bit, I'm wondering if I should have it the other way around - Red on the table and Black on the legs. I like the table on the cart, but I also like the quick and easy mobility of the legged unit and since I've got the shelf, do I really need the table? I know, I can always switch them back. I've got too much time on my hands....
Topic: Black or Red SSP? (Read 2103 times)
