Hey Big D... You found your Weber! Good deal.
Looking at your pics, I have a couple of humble suggestions that might make your life a little easier:
1. Take a hammer and flatten out the lip of the lid. Then, put it back on the drum, center it as precisely as you can and then hammer the edges back down. This will provide you a much tighter seal - to the point where it will almost "click" into place - and will help you control temps and fuel consumption better.
2. Turn your ball valve over so the handle is on top. It will make it easier to adjust.
3. Get it up on some wheels. I used the wheels and axle from the donor Weber and cut one of the legs down to make a spacer leg for the opposite side.
4. Put some kind of ash-catcher under the coal grate. A 16" pizza pan from Wally World is like a $1.50. This will make cleaning MUCH easier.
Keep us posted on the build. I can't wait to see it all purty. :-D
