Now that I'm restoring my 1973ish Yellow Weber Yachtsman...

[SuburbSlicker]

Now that I'm restoring my 1973ish Yellow Weber Yachtsman, I have some more questions. (I'm taking lots of before/after photos of my trash-pile find which I'll post up here.). Here are the first crappy photos I nabbed with my cellphone.








It's cleaning up beautifully thanks to Matt's near-perfect directions here:http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/. I've got the lid cleaned up inside and out, now it's on to the bowl, legs, ash pan, wheels, etc.

So here are my questions:

The top vent cover needs some love. Is there a way to remove it to clean/polish? Or is it better to just leave it and mask around it to clean it up?

The wheels also are a mess. I've seen the directions for painting them on here. I guess the other option is replacing. I guess one of my biggest questions is: What does it do to the value of the grill when you replace the wheels, the handle (the original one is completely gone), the cooking grates (the originals are very rusty) and so on?

I've got a trusty 22-inch OTG and a WSM in my charcoal collection, so this isn't really going to be used all that much for cooking. This is more of a fun project piece for me. But I know, from you all on here, that this is a desirable grill and I don't want to invest in a lot of accessories that are going to lower the value.

Final question, I have the original (very rusted) charcoal grate. The replacements in Lowes and HD seem much thicker and sturdier than the original. Is this just my imagination?

Thank all! This is an invaluable group!

[Troy]

don't replace the wheels. keep everything original

I have drilled off some vents to get them cleaned up, and I've always regretted it. A rusted rivet will always look better than a shiny screw or bolt.

your old charcoal grate is probably very much eroded. It's certainly possible that newer ones are thicker than the old - but the charcoal grate is one of the ONLY things collectors don't care about.

[indy82z]

I personally would not waste my time with this. I would just sell it to the first guy who expressed any interest in it....hey..want to sell it

Seriously though..Troy is correct...keep it all original..