Estate sale find, 18 WSM mystery date, HELP

[toolhead]

Sweet looking wsm.. estate sales hiding weber treasures..?...hmmmm

[Scott Zee]

link to website where I first saw the smoker, Jefferson Park-picture 42    http://estatesales.org/estate-sale-companies/4640

[mike.stavlund]

I have an E code 1880 (the 14.5 inch smoker).  My door looks the same as @Scott Zee's . Like harris, mine also has the raised lines stamped into the vent covers.  And mine is interesting-- the vent holes in the lid and bowl are round (not that teardrop shape), but the vent covers have the little tabs that bend down into the place where the pointy part of the teardrop would be.  My vent covers must be aluminum, and the door and legs must be steel (I say all of this based on the amount of rust present in each piece  ;-)

That's a real beauty, Scott!  Congrats on that grab!

[1911Ron]

Nice score!

[Scott Zee]

Thanks to everyone for the great info and congrats. I'm gonna give her a good cleaning this weekend and will post some before and after pics. Hopefully the mystery of the vent covers will come to light. and yes, legs are steel 

[GregS]

prototype is my guess. 

[Scott Zee]

I would be super stoked(pun TOTALLY intended), LOL, if in fact it were a prototype. But I'm already a happy Weberaholic

[Scott Zee]

You can better see the orange peeling in this shot...cleaning up very nicely                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

[charred]

Congrats on the find, especially if it IS a prototype! That would blow my mind.

[glrasmussen]

Great score. Have to love the mystery of the date.

[Scott Zee]

Lid selfie   

[Scott Zee]

To be totally honest...this is cleaning up so nicely I don't know at this point if it's gonna be a cooker or just a looker, at least until I can find out more about it's past. My "C" code might be my 18.5" of choice and R2D2 my go to smoker.

[toolhead]

Nice find..i just pulled a 18.5" t ..2 yrs old and barely used...cleaned up easily and looks nib.

Question...with the lack of detail vent..anybody thinking this had a replacement lid sent to original owner?

Replacement vents dont have any id numbers?

Whatnisbthe orange peeling?...rust?

[Scott Zee]

No rust anywhere, this thing is in PRISTINE shape and all 4 vents are exactly the same. I'm sure the lid is original. I was told this was cooked on twice and put away, in a basement, at least 25 and probably closer to 30 years ago.

[Golly]

my eyes see a faint D on one vent