Nice looking grill
@Evan_k !
Regarding your questions:
1) Yes, both the cookbox and end caps were sandblasted and I would highly recommend doing both or you will have difficulty matching the paint to both pieces. The non-sandblasted part will likely have grease on the surface so the paint wont stick all that well either. No ill effects afterwards in terms of smoothness - just don't use blast media that is too aggressive.
2) Yes I did! It's a cool feature but can become troublesome over time if the thermocoupler is not periodically cleaned off etc. If you have the parts handy or can get them on the cheap I would recommend going this route.
3) Cedar is a good choice for replacement slats as it has natural properties that help it stand up to wet weather and moisture. Beyond that you can use pretty much anything you like if you seal it up properly.
4) There should be little plastic inserts that the door pins sit in - without them they will be a bit sloppy. Check at Home Depot or similar and you can probably track something down that would work. [emoji106]
5) Nope!
I like to stick with OEM Weber parts if possible, but beyond that there isn't much else that can go wrong with these. If you have a good frame and cookbox you're golden!
Good luck and keep us posted!
Matt
Edit:: I used a grey SAMAN stain on this particular restore. I've tried a few of their tints and they always come out nice.