A week or so ago I came across this little beauty on eBay for a whopping $75! Originally I was happy to pay that just for the internal ash pan, but after finally receiving and opening it up this thing is actually pretty cool! I love the vintage literature and guide book.
If anyone else is interested I can post photos of the pages of the guide as its got some cool illustrations, accessories and details about the HC. Only date I could find anywhere was copyright 1981 on the cooking grate packaging...
For now here is the box opening and exploration of contents:
I was surprised that the lid was quite heavy but that the bowl seemed on the lighter side in comparison to a Weber kettle. The leg sockets are a little rough with a decent amount of weld spatter but overall the finish is quite nice with a good amount of peel. Fun bit of BBQ history anyways!
After doing a bit of research prior to purchase I had trouble finding any info about Happy Cooker Model Numbers so here is a clip from the instruction sheet for future reference:
And typed so its searchable...
Standard Models:
HCS-1831 Black 18.5"
HCS-2231 Black 22.5"
Deluxe Models:
HC-1801 Black 18.5"
HC-2201 Black 22.5"
Deluxe Hinged Models:
HC-1881 Black 18.5"
HC-2281 Black 22.5"
HC-2284 FT Red 22.5"
HC-2285 Brown 22.5"
Hope you all had a great weekend,
Matt