Oh well in that case, first pick up a beater kettle from craigslist and go to town on it! And also, where are you located? There are no gas Performers near you, used?
LOL I forgot to mention the ash sweeps, which is ironic. My old Performer, over time, acquired a certain amount of ashed-up gunk under the sweeps. And yeah, I couldn't move the lever because that nearest sweep was now hitting the burner tube.
Drip pans / foil placed under the meat is a good idea.