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This grill was listed on CL this past week. It didn't have any pics, or price in the ad, but did indicate that it was RED. Not really expecting any response, I sent an email the following day anyway. The guy actually got back to me and said he was giving it away for free and it might need some parts. I'm looking for a red SSP, so I hoped for the best and expected the worse. Well, I'll let the pics tell the rest...

(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5505/31013722340_9f55151a87_c.jpg)

(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5576/31238825572_58a788b7dd_c.jpg)

(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5750/31382948635_baf8ec5919_c.jpg)

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5465/31238834462_2594b15c97_c.jpg)

As you can see, this kettle has seen better days. Hey, it was free, so I'm not complaining! Surprisingly, the lid is in pretty good condition, considering the rest of it in really rough condition. For now, I plan to get the bowl and lid looking as good as I can. I'll temporarily drop it into this frame and use it as my dedicated pizza cooker, just to see if I like it as a "keeper" color.

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/2/1658/25968883790_4458464fcd_c.jpg)

Around here, the older red SS Performers are not nearly as common as black and green ones are!

The red bowl doesn't have the gas assist feature, so I might make the cuts for that to work with my nicer cart.

I got a good start on it today and for those interested, I'll update this thread as I get it cleaned up further.

You got a lot of cool free junk to play with...kinda like a Weber/Erector set.

Nice looking Red and Free is always good! The Gas Assist is nice but Weber Lighter Cubes work just as well. If you want to venture on The Dark Side make Pube Cubes,,,,,

It's missing the ash castcher, are you going to convert to newer style sweeps and ash catcher?


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@Jason I just picked up a Red SSP a few weeks back as well. It's under renovation currently. Keep the pics coming, I could use the motivation! lol

Nice score, I pulled apart my red SSP today too!  I needed to replace the old-style ash sweeper.  (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161203/1a90bd2a17f0585790006b19fce392b0.jpg)(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161203/097f676be2dce3af3a67d1dab6fbe276.jpg)

Good luck with yours!


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@Hell Fire Grill  I enjoy the challenge, as it's a big part of Weberitis for me  :D

Quote from: Harleysmoker on December 02, 2016, 07:34:45 PMThe Gas Assist is nice but Weber Lighter Cubes work just as well. If you want to venture on The Dark Side make Pube Cubes,,,,,

@Harleysmoker  I have a bunch of the lighter cubes. The pube cubes will have to wait for a really rainy day haha!

Quote from: captjoe06 on December 03, 2016, 03:01:29 AMIt's missing the ash castcher, are you going to convert to newer style sweeps and ash catcher?

@captjoe06  It did come with the ash bucket and ring. The sweeps are long gone though. I have an extra set of the newer style ash sweeps I might install, not sure just yet. I plan to rig it together the best I can and use it only for pizza, since it's gonna have plenty of air flow  :o  ;D Not sure what kinda life this kettle had, but the bowl looks like swiss cheese lol.

I don't mind the time spent to clean it up, but have no plans to sink any money into this one.

Quote from: JordanW on December 03, 2016, 04:28:00 AMKeep the pics coming, I could use the motivation! lol

@JordanW  Will do!

@Mr.CPHo  I'll still be on the lookout for a red that's as nice as the one in your pic!

Keep us posted along the way.   I really like watching the progress on other's projects.

I'd read somewhere here about upgrading the non gas assist SSPs with heavy-duty castors.  Any info on that topic? (Sorry, Jason, not trying to hijack)


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Here are a few pictures of my red SS performer that I restored in 2009.  If I remember correctly, it's a 1995 model.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill001-1.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill001-1.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill005-1.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill005-1.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill010.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill010.jpg.html)

Here are a few more pictures.  I still have this grill but have not used it in quite a while.  It now has a different SS top that was in better shape than the one shown in the pictures that I took off of another black SS performer that I used to own.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill008.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill008.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill003-1.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill003-1.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/grill004-1.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/grill004-1.jpg.html)

Ok, I got the bowl and lid cleaned up pretty well.

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5603/31400785005_1944bc4f95_c.jpg)

I also removed the rusted out parts of the old style ash sweep assembly. I have a spare new style ash sweep assembly I may put on there. I don't want to buy any new parts at this point. The aluminum ash ring and bucket are in good enough condition, so I'm hoping to get those back on there somehow. I know I have seen a few tricks and mods to make this work, so I'll start searching for those.

Search for hose clamp. You can attach the ring with hose clamps fairly easily. If you are more skilled and have more tools you could use pop rivets and make metal clips like the new rings have.


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Looking good so far


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Coming along nicely. Red SSP's are the sexiest IMO

You got it looking good.

I made cuts to install the gas assist components.

(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5600/31427810135_13b57247bf.jpg) (https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5691/31391545966_1013e10bc7.jpg)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5475/30606150944_abb9dc8c4a.jpg) (https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5798/31058108960_04ef8f9ba6.jpg)

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5534/31312697141_a058de5f89.jpg) (https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5585/30606155114_664f9d83e6.jpg)

Looking good, Jason! Let me know if you need anything for the restoration.

If it's the same as my red SSP I use my kettle pizza on you are going to be in for a treat your first pizza cook on it. Talk about a color changing kettle!!!!!

Great job.  Skill level 10 making those cuts!

Quote from: captjoe06 on December 05, 2016, 01:42:37 AM
Great job.  Skill level 10 making those cuts!

No kidding! I'd probably be missing a finger and have a wrecked bowl.


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Nice work!! Looking forward to the final product.


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Quote from: Jason on December 04, 2016, 07:25:42 PM
I made cuts to install the gas assist components.

(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5600/31427810135_13b57247bf.jpg) (https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5691/31391545966_1013e10bc7.jpg)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5475/30606150944_abb9dc8c4a.jpg) (https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5798/31058108960_04ef8f9ba6.jpg)

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5534/31312697141_a058de5f89.jpg) (https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5585/30606155114_664f9d83e6.jpg)

Nice clean job on that!

Anyone drill out 2 bowl holding brackets to convert reg. kettle to a performer gas assist?   

Quote from: greenweb on December 05, 2016, 05:42:25 AM

Nice clean job on that!

Anyone drill out 2 bowl holding brackets to convert reg. kettle to a performer gas assist?

No, but I bought a performer that had used a regular kettle by just setting the handles on the SSP frame and then holding in place with wood and bolts.

Man nice job on the cutout?
How did you manage to do the oval part so clean!?


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Quote from: WNC on December 10, 2016, 09:43:39 AMMan nice job on the cutout?
How did you manage to do the oval part so clean!?

@WNC Thanks!

I made pilot holes with a drill and used a Dremel tool to shape it. I made my template from another "gas assist" bowl I had.

I'm working on the project again today and hope to have it mostly done. I'll post an up-date with more pics.

Since the older style ash sweep was shot, I made some ash ring supports from aluminum strips I found at work. They were about .75" x 4". I just used regular pliers and a metal file to shape them.

All of that rust corrosion, will only add extra air-flow for cooking pizzas!  ;D

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/112/31418171302_6bc6beee9a_z.jpg)

Here are the tabs, after a bit of fine tuning. Each tab has a unique shape. The piece on the left is what I started with. The piece on top was for test fitting. 

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/349/30755406773_0a7ce94dcb_z.jpg)

Tabs installed and ready to go.

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/165/30723578934_5bb487e157_z.jpg)

Everything assembled, to see what's next.

(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/692/30755411163_a575156700_c.jpg)

The ash bucket looks like crap, but I'm pretty happy with the progress, so far...

Quote from: Jason on December 10, 2016, 08:24:47 PM
Since the older style ash sweep was shot, I made some ash ring supports from aluminum strips I found at work. They were about .75" x 4". I just used regular pliers and a metal file to shape them.

All of that rust corrosion, will only add extra air-flow for cooking pizzas!  ;D

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/112/31418171302_6bc6beee9a_z.jpg)

Here are the tabs, after a bit of fine tuning. Each tab has a unique shape. The piece on the left is what I started with. The piece on top was for test fitting. 

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/349/30755406773_0a7ce94dcb_z.jpg)

Tabs installed and ready to go.

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/165/30723578934_5bb487e157_z.jpg)

Everything assembled, to see what's next.

(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/692/30755411163_a575156700_c.jpg)

The ash bucket looks like crap, but I'm pretty happy with the progress, so far...

Looks great Jason.  I'm afraid it's a little past my skill level I'm thinking to cut the tabs and stuff.   The Ash Catcher bar on the Blue SSP I picked up yesterday doesn't look like it has a whole lot of life left in it.  I'm considering to switch over to the newer style. The red fade SSP's are the prettiest IMO. 

@captjoe06, there's a member here who makes replacements for the ash catcher bar.


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Quote from: Mr.CPHo on December 11, 2016, 04:09:29 AM
@captjoe06, there's a member here who makes replacements for the ash catcher bar.


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I read that but I thought that was long ago and they'd be all gone.  Truth be told I haven't futzed around with it all that much yet to see how bad it was but it had a little bit of drooping action.  I might just use wire fishing leader that I'd used successfully on a green SSP project.  The handle on the ash bucket and the ash catcher bar are both very rusted but the gas assist fired up first try and the frame is solid without rust.
Considering bringing it down the dock to be a daily driver.

On another subject,  I may or may not have found a place that said they'd fill the old SSP propane tanks. Next time I'm driving down that way I'm going to bring both ranks to get filled. Should last a while!

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Quote from: captjoe06 on December 11, 2016, 01:54:29 AMThe Ash Catcher bar on the Blue SSP I picked up yesterday doesn't look like it has a whole lot of life left in it.  I'm considering to switch over to the newer style.

The leg sockets on this older red would need to be modified to accept the newer style ash ring and bucket. The slots where the tabs would go are not the same as the newer bowls.

The lid and bowl will get a final detailing, along with the ash ring. I'm on the lookout for an ash bucket and handle in better condition that what I have on there now, as I won't be spending any time detailing those...too shot.

Technically, the kettle is ready to start cooking on... :)   

I don't know why I thought I'd be able to just plug and play with the newer style. 

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Looks awesome!
Did the SSP bowls come with a handle on them, on the side that sits under the stainless steel panel?

Quote from: WNC on December 11, 2016, 07:30:59 AM
Looks awesome!
Did the SSP bowls come with a handle on them, on the side that sits under the stainless steel panel?

Are you talking about the one that you hang the lid on?  if so then yes.

Quote from: Jason on December 04, 2016, 07:25:42 PM


(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5534/31312697141_a058de5f89.jpg) (https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5585/30606155114_664f9d83e6.jpg)

The handle here, looks like this is the side that faces in toward the table
I've never taken apart a SSP, but I guess I just didn't think performer bowls had handles
My gen2 bowl doesn't, so could you use a SSP bowl on a gen2?
Just thinking about if some cool color ever pops up

SSP bowls have handles under the table for no good reason. I've swapped Gen I and Gen II bowls from one frame to the other with no issues.

Quote from: 56MPG on December 11, 2016, 08:14:23 AM
SSP bowls have handles under the table for no good reason. I've swapped Gen I and Gen II bowls from one frame to the other with no issues.

Some do. Some don't. Depends when they were made, I think.

Quote from: 56MPG on December 11, 2016, 08:14:23 AM
SSP bowls have handles under the table for no good reason. I've swapped Gen I and Gen II bowls from one frame to the other with no issues.

I believe the phantom handle is where they hang the kettles on the overhead conveyor for coating.

Quote from: haeffb on December 13, 2016, 02:48:52 PM

Some do. Some don't. Depends when they were made, I think.

I have never seen a performer or OTP bowl without the handle. Have you?

Quote from: pbe gummi bear on December 13, 2016, 06:41:41 PM

I have never seen a performer or OTP bowl without the handle. Have you?

Yes. I have two of them in my back yard right now. One is a new 2015 copper bowl that I put into an SSP frame.

The other is a blue Gen 2 performer.

Neither has a handle.

I have had SSP bowls that had the handle, though, and I was actually skeptical that it was an original performer bowl until I was reassured here at WKC.

Quote from: pbe gummi bear on December 13, 2016, 06:41:41 PM
I believe the phantom handle is where they hang the kettles on the overhead conveyor for coating.

Or maybe the leg sockets and vent holes?

(https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8337/8232968365_89dbf79080_o.jpg)

Looks great! Awesome job


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