I think Gen 1 Performers are some of the best kettles Weber has ever produced. Quality materials and a great design. That said, I ditched by charcoal bin a long time ago and got rid of the small propane tank as well. I just don't like the tank hanging down in the front of the kettle. For quite some time now, I have been using lighter cubes with Bisbee - which is kind of lame given the propane starter is one of the performer's best features. Time for a new mod!
I started by ordering the gas regulator, piezo starter, and burner tube for a Gen 3 performer. I wanted the spin on gas bottle feature. To make it work with my Gen 1 performer, and to position the propane bottle in a horizontal position, I had to fabricate some brackets:
I leave my Slow N Sear in the kettle 90% of the time. For the burner tube, I copied the idea that
@ed3120 and
@pbe gummi bear have pioneered - positioning the ignitor to the right of the mounting bracket. This allows you to focus the flame right under the fuel when using the SNS.
Here you can see the basket I installed where the charcoal bin use to be. Very handy storage. I positioned the regulator so the tank would mount parallel to the basket.
The piezo ignitor mounted nicely next to the regulator. Both the gas adjustment knob and the ignitor button have enough clearance to fit underneath the flip up table when it is closed.
The tip of the tube sits under the SNS perfectly
All rigged up!
Much better - Bisbee now has gas, but no tanks hanging down in front. The basket and new gas system are pretty simple mods, but provide some good functionality. I like the piezo ignitor - it is a nice upgrade over the stock Gen 1 unit.
Winz