Calling the serious Eggheads!!!

No expert here but I think all the newer style parts are available. Not really sure if necessary (Daisy Top and intake door, older should work fine) A new large is about $900 with the shelves and nest.

Look for cracks in the fire box and ring. I think Capt'n Grumpy has a method of tapping on the ceramics to check the soundness.

Sounds like you may have a primo, they have those simplier daisy wheels. Regardless, sounds like a good deal, and no I don't think you need to worry about a couple of nicks in the glaze. Do replace that locking hinge with a spring hinge, though. If it is an Egg, BGE will probably give you a good deal, they don't like having those hinges out there I think, because its too easy for a visitor who does not know to try to force the lid closed without unlocking it, leading to busted hinges or worse.

I bought a used Large BGE last year, it was about 6-7 years old, paid $400 for it. Had the sides like yours. Full price for a new hinge would be around $100, though as I said they may give you a deal.

Brett

Changing the band to the newer spring assist band ($80 - $90)is the first thing to do and then an cast iron fire grate ($15 - $25) will be a close second or the Guru Turbonator ($45 but worth the money). You can get a touch up paint for the chips from the Mother Ship and the older daisy wheel style only cap is perfect for what we do best, smokin' da meat I have one on my medium and it basically controls the amount of smoke not the temp like the lower vent. You just have to take it off to do sears on the grill)!
You will probably also want to swap out the old lower vent for the new stainless one with the screen.
I would say to pay as little as possible because you need to invest a few bucks to get it upgraded. I would say $150 or less is a good ballpark. Does it come with a plate setter($50)?
Remember that this is an older model used BGE and is worth the money if you don't overpay in the beginning.
Remember to look at the firebox and give it a soft thump with your knuckle or a little rubber superball to listen if the ceramic thuds are has a resonating sound to it. A thud indicates a crack somewhere. The firering is just a visual inspection. Also ring the dome and the lower shell with everything removed. Take a wrench with you.
Good luck and remember to post pics!

If it's a good price, don't think about it too long. You can still cook with the older out of date parts. Like above, make sure the internals are not broken. Minor cracks on the internals you can live with for a while. But can be used to negotiate.

I was giving you a ballpark to start and stay around. Make mention of the fact the upgrades need to be done and if it got much higher it would be about the same as a new one.I would make an offer of $150 - $200 and then hem and haw a bit and see if the seller is smart enough to make you budge or will he cave. The worst that can happen is he can say "NO. It's this price or nothing." or he can make you a counter offer. I always get them to budge even if it is $50 or $100 then I know I did even better than I would have because I am always prepared to pay the full price in the first place or i would not be wasting my time driving there to go window shopping! $275 is reasonable but try to get him down ! That is the fun of buying one used!:biggrin:

HoDeDo said:

Are there any differences in the ceramic between the old and new?

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YES! BGE converted over to ceramic in 1996 and the pre 1996 clay eggs had a duller painted finish versus a shiny ceramic glazed finish on the newer eggs.
The older eggs are not worth $275 let alone $150 because they can not be used for cooks over 550 degrees and will crack for many other reasons.
The ceramic is white and i believe the clay had a reddish tone.

Take it from someone who is working over a cracked Large BGE, the one you described sounds a lot like mine. First off, get rid of the painted steel slider and get a stainless steel one with the screen(@ $40) get a Dual Function Metal Top (DFMT @ $40) and the Spring Assist Hinge ( @ $80) If it has the ceramic coal grate, you can use a Lodge Cast iron trivet (@ $15) Platesetter (@ $80) and you should be good to go.

Inspect it thouroughly, take all the internal parts out and check for cracks, on the lid, bottom and firebox. Bring a wire brush, flashlight, screwdrivers/wrenches to remove the lid (makes it easy to transport, I bring a hacksaw and sometimes just cut one of the band bolts) Depends what you are paying for it, just make sure its a ceramic egg and not clay Kamado.

I got a couple good years out of mine, and this repair job has been a PITA and If it doesn't hold up I'd be hard pressed to buy a used one in the future. They are nice cookers, but I'd feel more at ease knowing I had a warranty to go with my investment.http://www.biggreenegg.com/customer_services.html
Notice the repair tip? B$!!

Check out the Naked Whiz link Info Central and look at the Pre 1976 BGE/Kamado Manual-Big difference!
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/infocentral.htm

Don't worry about the age as long as it's solid. I have an older egg and a couple of newer eggs. I like the the old egg as well as the new ones. Mine does not have a date code per say. It does say patent pending on the inside of the bottom. If it is solid your golden. Good luck! I just put this brisket on at 10:00 am this morning.

I bought my large 2 months ago, new. $800 with plate setter, ash tool, and daisy wheel. Built a table for about $100.

By the way..........my wife, who was "sick of bbq" after cooking 10,000 plus pounds a year with me for the past 3 years catering, asks for pork steaks and chicken and steak off of "eggbert".

Don't worry about the age, just that it is ceramic and that is done by the finish. Hard shiny green glass like finish = CERAMIC! Example: Finish like you coffee mug!
Dull rough painted finish = clay!

I bought my medium from a guy who originally purchased it in 1996 when the ceramic first came out. It is burning strong and solid as ever.

Take a small solid rubber ball and rap it on the dome and if it only thuds and does not have a gong to it the crack is going to be a headache eventually because it is cracked. A new dome is going to be a couple hundred dollars so make sure to take that into account as well. I have a price sheet printed out somewhere that has the cost of all the parts that I got from the mother ship. If you call them they will gladly give you a run down on costs. This way you won't BSed by someone that tells you it will only cost $50 for a new dome. That story is told by the idiot in Sacramento that has been trying to sell a claypot as a BGE for the last year and still keeps it listed on craigslist for $275.

Lessons Learned from "Project Humpty"

I'm currently at what I hope is the tail end of a restore of an old clay egg (red clay). Humpty's internals were all cracked through so they were in pieces. The dome was cracked in a few pieces, but held together with wire. The bottom was cracked in pieces at the rim, but not through to the base.

The refurb seemed relatively straightforward. In what I now call the Phase 1 repair, I skimped and only used 1 coating of JB on all the cracks. However, new cracks appeared only after the second firing. Dissasembly after the 4th firing showing that the JB had disintegrated completely in the firebox. I suspect this is due to the extreme heat generated by the coals.

The JB welds seem to be holding in the base and the dome, but there are a couple of little weld pits in the dome where the JB has pooled, which I suspect is due to overheating. For future firings, I know I have to watch my dome temperatures, since JB is "temperature resistant" to 500F. Otherwise, I'm sure all the JB welds in the dome will break down and disintegrate.


The Phase 2 repairs are still ongoing, but here's what I've learned if you need to get your hands dirty:

• Don't use JB in the firebox or any areas that will be subject to heat above 500F. Try a high-temperature furnace and gasket cement instead. JB should be OK in areas that do not see high temperatures above 500F.
• To stop crack propagation (new cracks growing from old ones), consider drilling a small hole at the end of the crack. Do this before applying any epoxy or cement.
• Don't paint the egg until after proving your repairs with several low and slow fires. In my case, new cracks showed up in my newly painted egg only after the second firing. I had to scrub the new paint job off to repair the cracks.
• Keep your first few firings low and slow. Don't subject the egg to rapid changes in temperature. Especially watch your temperatures while the coals ash up.

CaptnGrumpy may be right in that the older eggs cannot be used for cooks over 550F. I didn't cook at 550F, but temperatures did exceed 550F only ONCE for a few minutes during my 4th firing. I'm sure the high heat disintegrated the JB and also created the extra thermal stress that cracked my egg further.

Project Humpty is still ongoing and the thread postings may be a good resource if you will be doing repair work.

Good luck on your new egg!
_______
MayDay
Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM
Kamado/BGE, Cobb

swamprb said:

get a Dual Function Metal Top (DFMT @ $40)

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I'd recommend holding off on the DFMT for now because you already have the metal slider top. I went thru a big hassle trying to get a DFMT for my old Egg. Long story short - the new DFMT's dont fit the older Eggs. I'm in the process now of searching for an old style slider top like you have. Or, I'll try and work up a mod to make a small DFMT fit.

The spring assist hinge isnt necessary but it makes it nice. I'll agree that the stainless vent with screen is a must have.

I also upgraded my thermometer with a Tel-Tru only because the BGE thermo was farked.

Hope you score the Egg!!