What happens when you're waiting on a welder

So due to odd circumstances last minute changes in weekend plans left me with a day completely to myself and the family. Got lots of family time in and I found a use for a bit o scrap metal that I picked up because they wanted it gone. Meet my new charcoal grill.

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This is 7.5'x2.5' of 1/4" plate. They wanted it gone and I obliged them. Me and a buddy worked pretty hard to get this to my garage lol. It's heavy.

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My current grill. Leaks like a sieve but it is all bolt together so I am going to use most of the parts on the new grill if possible. I think the metal that was used was 24ga steel so stepping up to 1/4" will be a vast improvement. All in all though the grill is more tired than anything else. I've had it since 2010 and I have definitely cooked a LOT on it due to the ability to cook year round. In the winter though I find it is very difficult to get it to cooking temperature.

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The stylish pic of what I want mine to look like when I'm done with it. The guy standing in the corner is me when I will actually get this done. I will definitely rebuild the grill but whether or not it ends up with all the bells and whistles is another story.

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Kind of exploded guts of the grill. I did not change much but I redesigned the air intake and exhaust to be on opposite sides of the grill requiring the heat to travel across the interior rather than creating hot/cold zones. I am also going to be using a seal designed for smokers on the front door, hood, and ash tray in an effort to hold heat in rather than let it out.
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A new design on the adjustable coal rack. It's a great feature that I have on mine but the way Charbroil designed theirs is junk. I pieced bit together and it isn't cheap but it will use chain, sprockets, pillow block bearings and flange bearings to raise and lower the coals. I counter balanced the shaft like a teeter totter so the tension in the chain will keep the 5/8" shaft from caving with the weight of the coal basket. According to my design the coals can be adjusted roughly 8" which is a great deal of travel for cooking.

If the sprockets and everything just end up being too expensive I will try to repair the current elevation system or mimic the design exactly. I just feel that with the heat of the coals over time the design will fail even if I beef it up. I believe this design would last a very very long time with the only piece burning out being the coal basket.

I just realized that the upper shaft has to be offset a little in order to lift the coals straight up the guides.