Weber Kettle Club Forums
Grill Talk => Weber Grill Forum (Grills, Accessories) => Topic started by: Jeff on March 29, 2013, 01:25:03 PM
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Since the weather has broke in Chicago finally, I wanted to start this thread. Some of you already know this story, but I responded a Clist ad that had a Ranger for sale. It was red (Burnt Orange as we now know). It was a quite the drive to get this, and my wife did it since I was out of town. When she got there, it turned out this guy had 2 Rangers! Of course I had my wife get both. The one pictured in the ad was red, the "other" was turned out to be yellow. The yellow was in better condition and I've already redone this one. The red one is rough to say the least. The bowl has damage where it connects to the frame, chips throughout, and yes Brian, it DOES need a handle. Also, over the last year, the plastic hub in the center of the wheel got dry rot and cracked, but as you will see...I DO have a plan for that as shown below. I'll never find an original wheel, but I think the wheel pictured below will actually look pretty darn cool on it. This project will be time consuming, but I will bump this thread from time to time as I get work done on it.
Lastly...I put my red Smokey next to it to try and show the difference in color from a standard red, to this "burnt orange" color. I don't think the pictures do justice, but this color is distinctly different in person. Its also 2 toned.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/001_zps9d39b1c8.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/004_zps7c3f8aa9.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/003_zpsc7ae7532.jpg)
The future wheel
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/002_zps870fa423.jpg)
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I like the new wheel. How tall are the Rangers, compared to a regular kettle?
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Ron...they are shorter, but the yellow is taller than the red due to the difference in design. Here is a photo with both of them and a regular stand alone 22" kettle. The viewing angle isn't perfect, but you can kind of get an idea.
The yellow has a better design in my opinion and is taller...and easier on your back if you're tall and actually using a grill like this! LOL
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20senior%20moment/013.jpg)
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Here are a couple pics with the new wheel....I think it looks pretty darn good. What do you all think? I have seen an original picture of a red Ranger from Weber, and the wheel it had...had a red whitewall (on the inside of course). This wheel has the red on the outside of the wheel. I think it goes well. Its kinda like putting some fancy wheels on a junkie car...it still looks like junk, but just "better junk"! LOL
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/005_zpsc47c89ff.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/006_zpsfb757a8e.jpg)
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Awesome - much better than the old wheel you had on there. Got a yellow one?
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That looks great Jeff
What's the story with the ash catching and vents on the Rangers?
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That looks great Jeff
What's the story with the ash catching and vents on the Rangers?
Hogsy...as you can see...the yellow one just uses the twish on style pan like some of the late 60's/early 70's grill have. The red one has this weird pan that mounts to the legs and frame of the kettle bowl. A poor design in my opinion, but only slightly better than having the hot coals drop though directly onto the ground.
Marty...I wish I had a yellow wheel to look like that!
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Here is a little bit better picture to compare an older style red color from Weber vs the Burnt Orange on the Ranger.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Red%20Ranger/007_zps4d1daeae.jpg)
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So just 3 daisy wheels for vents?
They must be a PITA on the red ranger
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Yes Hogsy...the red Ranger, as well as the yellow one has 3 daisy style vents on the bottom.
And yeah...on the red one, they are real close to the ash tray/pan. Once again, a poor design. The funny thing is, the red Ranger was made AFTER the yellow one. Weber "regressed" in their design, thats for sure.
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Very very very nice.
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Jeff that ranger looks cool. Do they really call it burnt orange ? I lived in Austin, TX for 15 years. The UT definition of burnt orange is not even close to the ranger's color. The new wheel looks cool. I think the yellow ranger is much cooler than the "burnt orange" one. I have a speckled smokey joe that sure would look good in your collection. Hint hint. ;)
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I love the red wheel on the burnt orange Ranger! 8) Definitely a good fit. Thats a nice 26"er you got there too!
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Okay, now that so much has been said. I like the burnt orange ranger better than the yellow. There I said it. However I agree with Jeff that the yellow was definitly designed better and Weber should have stuck with it.
I really like the red wheel, but what the heck happened with the old one? I also had no idea that grill was in that much need of help. It always looked so good in the pictures. (BTW turn off your flash! they always look pink), >:(
The red 26 looks like new and I can't wait to see more of it. The red ranger and red 26 need a little more perving, so please provide more pictures.
Your still the man Jeff! You and yer new derg!
Love Duke. :-*
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I think new wheel looks closer to the orginal wheel that the Ranger came with in the first place. That white hubbed wheel must have been a replacement somewhere along the way. This is a picture of the one I have, I think it is the orginal wheel.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img209/5417/1rancher.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img89/403/2rancherid.png)
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Ed....your picture doesn't show up, just a red "X".
Javahog, Weber publication does call this grill "burnt orange". We have a thread here started by Duke. I'll go back and look and copy it here. And yes, I did see that speckled Smokie you picked up. Its very cool looking...my brown one has the same speckled finish on the inside.
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/did-anyone-know-weber-made-a-burnt-orange-kettle/
Duke, this grill did not lead the charmed life as you can see. I'm sure it sat outside for a LONG time. Sun and weather obviously took its toll on this wheel and as I was moving it back and forth in storage over the last few years...the weight on it caused it to crack. Now regarding the wheels on my 2 Rangers, they both have the same style wheel, but I have my doubts to their originality. Since the same person owned these two grills...its very possible they may have replaced them both together at one time. I've not seen any Weber photos showing that style wheel (that cracked) on any other grill ever.
And yes, the flash WAS off. That bugs me so much when you take a pic of a red grill...and it has a pink hue to it.
That red 26 will have a short rehab thread of its own once I get a chance. I have a few key items to talk about with it.
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Sorry guys, I am still trying to get the hang of picture posting. Should be up now.
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Nice work on the rehab and good find on the wheel!
I look forward to the rehab thread on that red 26 too. <drool>
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Hank...I haven't even started the rehab yet, except for the wheel. This grill is in sad shape right now!
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Sorry guys, I am still trying to get the hang of picture posting. Should be up now.
Nope...not yet. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm!
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Jeff, I modified the eariler post, on page one. I can see it when I pull up the first page. let me know if I need to try agian.
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Yes...thats a good photo. Is that a steel hub wheel with the "red wall" just painted red? Do you have additional photos of your Ranger? They would be helpful in my rehab.
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That steel redwall of Reilly's looks to be original. It matches one thats in one of the catalogs.
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It is a steel hub. I am not sure about the red, I will check it out later. I'll post some more pics later today (weekends are full with soccer and birthday parties).
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Hank...I haven't even started the rehab yet, except for the wheel. This grill is in sad shape right now!
I better gut busy cleaning up some of mine lest your 'sad shape' grills look better than my 'I'll cook on that one' grills!
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Here are some more angles of the Ranger. The red wall on the wheel is painted onto the black steel. Good luck with the rehab, glad you decided to take it on. I know you will do a great job, can't wait for the before and after photos.
Also, Jeff your Ranger has some sort of cross over support on the back legs, mine does not even have screw holes in the legs in that area. And the front brace support for the ash catch thing is different, yours seems to wrap around the front legs and mine is a staight rod, just inserted into both sides of the front legs.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img17/9049/1rr.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img542/7986/2rr.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img339/120/3rrf.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img213/8988/4rr.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img132/7322/6rr.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img837/5484/7rru.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img90/3737/8rr.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img690/6422/9rr.png)
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Thanks for sharing the close up pics, Reilly! Those Rangers are pretty cool!
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Ed...those are great pics. Thanks much
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Thanks for the pics..... Gives more of an idea of the setup
How do you clean out the ashes?
Looks like the ash catcher is really close to the bottom of the bowl
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Here is another picture of a Ranger, with a little different set up. It is a picture Weber put out in a newsletter about 10 years ago.
Also, the ash catch is little more than a sheet of metel sitting on the leg supports. the bowl vent do line up with it so any ash that falls will drop into the catcher. And any wind will blow it off the catcher.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img7/7094/10rrf.png)
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Too bad that picture is a little blurry, its hard to see details.
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This is from a 1974 catalog.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img829/7213/74catalog2.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img577/3581/74catalog1.png)
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Wow! Reilly, we need to get some blown up scans of these. This is a gold mine you have. Thanks for sharing these pics. Is that a Corn 'N Tater on a '60s style Ranger in 1974? I thought the design was more like yours and Jeff's by then.
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Great pictures as usual Ed, but would it be possible for me to see what the African Americans are cooking on. If i'm not mistaken it's a lime green.
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Oh yeah, the old man in back is Ed Shafer, the same one on the cover of the eariler catalogs. And none of the the Gas Kettles have the large wheels. Too bad there is no forum for Gas Kettles...........just saying.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img560/2818/1974.png)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img41/9034/electric74.png)
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Great pictures as usual Ed, but would it be possible for me to see what the African Americans are cooking on. If i'm not mistaken it's a lime green.
That Seville looks like more Limey than 'Cado'ey.
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Craig, the corn and tater grill was still on the price list in 1974. There were a few styles available.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4368/74pricelistj.png)
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I knew the Corn 'N tater was still around then, I just didn't realize the older style Ranger was available in '74. It struck me as odd, but cool just the same.
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Jeff might now for sure, but I think the red Ranger was first, then replaced by the yellow Ranger with the twist ash catcher. Not sure of what year the exact years were.
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Thanks for sharing, Ed! That's quite a grill lineup in those pictures.
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It makes sense that the Burnt Orange style ones would be first since the wheels had metal rims. So maybe its the reverse. These are some sweet catalogs you got here, thanks for sharing these, Reilly! :D
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Great pictures and thanks for sharing a few more. That lady looks a little like Robin. ;D It's also funny how the guy is cooking on the red EK in the middle of a park. :D
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Okay just to help I hope Reilly doesn't mind....
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z276/zavod112/electric744_zpsed7ae84f.png)
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z276/zavod112/1974_zps772d7c42.jpg)
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z276/zavod112/74catalog2_zps673a810e.jpg)
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z276/zavod112/10rrf_zpsafaa33a2.jpg)
It just makes it easier....
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Thanks Brian.
I was displaying sideways to be fair to the folks in OZ, so they would not have to turn their computer all the way over....
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. ;D It's also funny how the guy is cooking on the red EK in the middle of a park. :D
We're gonna need a longer extension cord! :o
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Thanks Brian.
I was displaying sideways to be fair to the folks in OZ, so they would not have to turn their computer all the way over....
Just being helpful....
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My neck was starting to hurt.... :P
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oi i likem sideways :o