MLH Wood Dale Fleetwood

[crowderjd]

Around 8:30 Monday night while doing my usual CL surfing, I found a listing in Sedona, AZ for a "Weber Grill 27" Large".  I looked on the pictures, and I could not believe what I was seeing.  A MLH 26 inch kettle.



I was very excited.  I immediately emailed the seller, and he got back to me within the hour.  I explained that I collect kettles, and live in Las Vegas, and wondered if he could hold it until Friday or Saturday.  He said sure...

Feeling excited I went to bed.

Tuesday morning, I get to school and the seller emailed me saying he got six offers overnight, one for $55 from a local buyer.  He said if I would match it, he would hold it for me.  I replied saying I'd give him $60 and I would pick it up Friday night.  He said OK, and then went a step further and removed the CL ad for me, to in his words, "keep it safe."

The rest of the week was spent looking at the forums here for old Fleetwoods in anxious anticipation. 

Yesterday, I got out of school at 2:40, and immediately went to pick up my son from his school.  We were packed up with soda, popcorn, cookies, and candy.  I left his school at 3:01. 




Sedona is a BIT OF A DRIVE! 



I had never been there before, and after white knuckle driving on Highway 89A into Sedona, I arrived at his house at 8:40pm. 

The gentleman and his wife were older, and as a bonus, Polish!  (I've been to Poland 6 times).  They were incredibly nice, and helped me get it into my Hyundai Tucson.  They even provided some padding and sheets to keep things safe.  We stopped in Flagstaff for a quick dinner, and I headed back home.  My son fell asleep along the way, and I got home late with some extra miles on my car...(see the pics).



(12:41 AM)



I took one pic of the lid vent before going to bed:



Couldn't sleep much last night, I was so excited, and this morning I cleaned up the lid vent.  There's some restoring that needs to be done here, and so for now, I'll show you some pics, tell you what I know, and then the questions I have:













The good:

Overall in great shape. 
All the vents move freely.
VERY little rust.
Has the ash pan
All the handles are solid.
Two of the three original thumbscrews

The not really that bad:

One of the daisy wheel vents on the bowl has been cut to open and close the vent since the tab fell off.
A few dings on the lid and what I'd call splatter marks that I'm not sure about. 
Non original wheels...
It sits at a pronounced tilt at the moment...I'm thinking it has 22 inch legs on it???

My questions:

First, I want to be careful cleaning this...It's by far the oldest kettle I have, and can I still use 0000 steel wool or Weber exterior grill cleaner to clean it up?  Any thoughts on these splatter marks?



Second, I'm curious if it was originally gray, or if it is just faded black.  In searching the site for old posts about Fleetwoods, I saw there was some debate about this.

Third...if it was black, should I try to darken it with PAM? 

Finally, the leg tilt and wheels...Am I right that it is probably sitting with 22 legs on it that is causing the tilt?  Finally, how impossible would it be to find original wheels.  I don't think I care all that much, but it would be cool to have.

I will be updating this with pics as I clean it up, but I would sure be interested to hear people's input.  Have a great weekend!

[harris92]

@crowderjd

GRATE score.  It is faded black (not much fade though).  I have one.  More faded than yours.  It looks like the front leg may not be original or was modded (hard to tell).  The 8" steel wheels are not impossible to find.  I found an extra set a few months ago and sent the pair to a member.  If I find another set it your way.

[pbe gummi bear]

Congrats! The score is even better with the story and road trip with your boy.I would not use steel wool on it- or at least test it in a non-noticeable location first. The grill was black. I would totally PAM it out it to get that glorious luster back. I was also gonna say that it looks like it has 22" legs on it because the leg to kettle proportion looks midgety. Thats not a big deal though since the all the harder to find parts are there.

PS- your wife called and said that you have too many grills on the patio. Good luck with that one. 

[brewtownbeatdown]

Good p/u. Even better, is the time that just you and your son got to spend together. Always a great time taking the kids on Weber adventures. My girls like going with me. I'm not sure if they're excited about the grill, or the fact that I'll likely get them Starbucks. Doesn't matter to me, it's quality time.

That front leg is a replacement. Probably from a 22", like you figured. I imagine it'll take some time to come up with original wheels. That triangle is really clean. Damper tabs look to be all intact. You have the 26" ASH PAN!!!  Should be able to clean with scotch-brite & wheel cleaner. It'll fade to black & back w/o harming the finish.

BTW, doesn't this exceed your wife's grill limit, yet again. Patio space at a premium now?  Got 'er next to the Brownie?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[firedude5015]

Wow!..another awesome score!
Seems Kettle Karma is treating us all fairly well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[crowderjd]

I'm selling my WSM today to a co-worker...between my mini WSM and this I think I'll be good on smoking space

[TheDude]

She's beautiful. Get her cleaned up and in action.

[AZRaptor]

Congrats crowderjd. You were faster than a bunch of us here in AZ. Sad to see it leave the state but glad it was a grillfella that will appreciate it.

[SixZeroFour]

YES!!!! What a find and story crowderjd!

I agree with Lawrence about not using steel wool on this guy or maybe just very lightly. That is seriously cool, you must be pumped! congratulations!

Matt

[MacEggs]

What a great score, and a rescue that you will always remember!

Regarding using 0000 steel wool .... Read THIS first.

[1buckie]

Yup....that's a Metal Lid Handle Cadillac Fleetwood alright !!!

Mine went from this:





To this:





Razor scraper on the inside & cleaned with, yes....apple cider vinegar.....works great & not as sharp edged as white vin...



Congrats on the tremendous score.....not that many of these around, but good to see the truth is still out there !!!


The front leg deal may have been that the original wore down enough (& was tilting some) to be replaced & they only could find the 22"?

[crowderjd]

@1buckie did you use apple cider vinegar on the inside or outside? 

[LightningBoldtz]

Wow what a road trip, it's a good thing gas is to cheap, that road trip a couple of years ago would have costs over $100 in gas alone.

[Craig]

What a killer score and a great story and memory for you and our son! Congratulations on the find! Another vote for NOT using 0000 wool on any Wood Dale era kettle. The porcelain doesn't hold up as well to it as the mid 60s and later (MBH and onward) porcelain does. Can't wait to see this in action. As for darkening with Pam, you certainly could but I'd leave it as is with its natural beauty. Can't wait to see more of this! Congrats!


Sent from an Aqua Blue Western Electric Model 500.

[1buckie]

@1buckie did you use apple cider vinegar on the inside or outside?

   Yes.......................

With a medium pressure rub with a green scrubby pad on the outside.......