It's been a good week on CL, continued... UPDATED

[Bob BQ]

Holy shnikes! What a week for CL pickups! In the past 7 days, I picked up a red MBH with corn n tater ring, a grate with CI grate insert, and tonight... well, here's a teaser... More pix, etc in a day or two... 

[1buckie]

Everybody takes a turn bein' on fire....apparently you're completely ablaze..............


                                             Dig that CUSTOM handle !!!!!

[SixZeroFour]

Yes!!

Hell of a week Bob, can't wait to see more pics!

[Troy]

flat top 26 with a franken handle!!

Nice score man, you're on a roll!!!

[Troy]

also, socal has dried up. Puff puff pass man, puff puff pass.

[glrasmussen]

And I thought I was on fire... Congrats on another grail score.

[G]

THat looks like a beauty....nice pick up.

[Craig]

Nice score! Looking forward to seeing more!

[mike.stavlund]

Dude.  I can feel the heat from over here! 

What a(nother) great score!

[Bob BQ]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Some of you may recognize this grill... it was discussed here a couple of months ago.

I contacted the seller, Sheila on Monday morning, the day after it was posted on CL... she stated that someone was coming over to look at the grill that evening, but if they were a no-show, I was next in line. I was kind of shocked that it had been posted for about 24 hours, and I was second in line. I'm also thinking... flat top 26 for $100? I've got no shot at this grill. I was pretty bummed, because I've been on the hunt for a flat top 26 for some time now, and I had missed it when it was on CL back in May.

Lo and behold, I get an email from her Monday night about 9:30... #1 in line was a no-show, and am I still interested? I replied immediately... she agreed to hold it for me until I could get over there Tuesday evening. It was only about a 20 minute drive from my new home... I pulled up as the garage door was opening, and there it stood! Sheila and her husband were super nice... she mentioned that her mother had given it to them years ago. She had won it as 1st prize in a home cooking contest. She said that her mother insisted it was limited edition grill... not sure what that could have been... possibly just the fact that it's a 26'er?

I mentioned that I had seen it on WKC a couple of months ago, and asked why it never got sold. She said something about miscommunication with the buyer, and then her daughter decided she wanted it. Daughter never picked it up.

Sheila's husband could only recall cooking on the grill maybe a couple of times. Lack of use & a desire to clear up some space in their garage is why they were selling it.

Sheila said that she was happy it was going to someone in the WKC... she was really impressed with how friendly and how passionate about Weber grills we all are. She was "a little hurt" by some of the comments about the replacement handles her husband made. They're cedar, and "he spent a lot of time on them".  Spending 20 minutes getting to know them and their situation (he's got some pretty serious medical issues), I'm almost inclined to leave the frankenhandles on... well... maybe not 

Anyway, enough babbling... on to the pics! More will be posted whenever I get around to cleaning this beast and firing her up!

Front shot. The side frankenhandles are held in by two screws... I'm guessing he must've drilled holes in the metal?


Side shot.


She was born in 1986...


We've got some rust to clean up. Here's the charcoal grate. I haven't seen the extra support on the bottom before. Didn't get a good pic of the cooking grate, but it's in excellent shape. Some minor surface rust on the bottom of it, but that's it. It's super heavy duty!


Upside down triangle, a little bent, and one of the welds has given out. I'll probably wind up cleaning up the rust and painting it.. blaik...


Ash sweep is in good shape... spins freely, with a bit more rust on the handle/nut than I'd like. At least one of the blades is not terribly flush with the bowl, so it'll be replaced. I do have the original ash tray... I'm going to look into getting an ash bucket. I think I may have an extra 22 bucket... not sure if that will fit on a 26 or not. Anyone know for sure?


My little man Henry showing where the porcelain has come off on the inside of the bowl. Damn handle spot welds  ! The leg socket spot welds have the same lack of porcelain on the inside of the bowl, as you can see in the pic above.


Little Man, Big Grill. It'll be his someday 


I probably won't be cooking on her for a couple more weeks... we're in a new house, and it'll be my 40th birthday on 7/31, so we're throwing a housewarming/birthday bash. She'll be getting a workout that day, for sure!

[Troy]

Great score and story!!!

Sheila, sorry I called the handles frankenhandles.

I would happily put them on one of my own kettles.

[Craig]

Awesome story!! This even has the cool "alternate" 8" wheels. I call them "alternate" because it seems Weber went back and forth between these and the more familiar style between 1977-1996. These seem to have a thicker profile. The charcoal grates on the 26"ers old and new have those extra support brackets on them. I've got a PAT PENDING brownie flat top that has that same grate. Very cool! Nice 26 blaikey!!

[1buckie]

"She said that her mother insisted it was limited edition grill... "


Grandma's right ...........don't argue !!!!


It actually is pretty 'limited edition' if you think about how many of these actually show up........

pretty dang nice shape all in all......the sweeps may be able to be taken apart & bowed back OK, as they really don't look too bad.......great story & super find.....

[Hogsy]

Great score!!!
And a great price....karma is on your side
Looking forward to it's first cookout

[G]

As Buckie ssaid, just bend that fin straight on the ash sweep.  THat looks to be in great shape yet.  Weber still sells the repacements for the odler 26ers but they are around $25.  As for the ash bucket, the leg sockets are wider than a 22" kettle and the newer style sah cans will not work.  Guys have used the older style buckets (with the ash bar found on older Performers and MTs) but they didnt clip into the leg sockets and the entire assembly could spin when moving the sweeper bar.  They worked though.