1500 Mile Trip - Complete!

[MCNE]

Well it turned out to be more like 1700 miles but all went well with only a couple of panic moments. For one I almost ran out of gas in Cincinnati by the Marriott hotel on the river (stayed at this hotel). I had no clue that I had put that many miles on a tank of gas. Funny thing is I couldn’t find a darn gas station. Second issue was in Bowling Green the old Vette started running extremely rough after we finished our lunch and started out for our tour. Check engine soon light came on and my heart almost stopped. Drove to a gas station and took a quick look and found that plug wires 5 & 7 we touching the manifold. After I moved them the car started running fine instantly but the engine light did take a while to turn off.



Now for the fun stuff! The GM plant tour was awesome! I was amazed at how much manual labor went into making a vette. Most of the workers did act like this was the first tour they had ever seen. Also saw three Z06's in different stages of production. One was actually completed. The museum was equally as cool but the plant was definitely my favorite. I would go back to see the build process again and since my job can take me to Bowling Green occasionally I’m going to do just that.



I got around 23 miles per gallon running the air about 85% on the time. I've got to tell that you people love corvettes. Kids just stop and look, adults always have something to ask while I pumped gas. It probably helped that I had a full set of cleaning supplies with me to keep the car looking nice. Makes you fell like you’re in another class completely at times.



Thanks for all of the advice. The trip was successful and Fun!



MCNE

 

[Edmond]

Good to hear that things went well. I suspect you almost running out of gas probably had something to do with a heavier right foot; Corvette guys have an issue with that.:L:L:L

Do they let you take pics of the building process inside the plant? That would be pretty cool.

 

[87blackroxi]

:BOW I'm envious. Someday I hope to see the promise land. Any good trip pics?

 

[Patrick]

Edmond and Shane,
All of us who went on the tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant were told in no uncertain terms that cameras were NOT allowed. Because of the proliferation of cell phones with cameras, they've even instituted a new rule that you can't bring cell phones into the Plant. They are quite strict about both that, and the fact that you have to wear closed-toe shoes (no sandals or flip-flops.) So, unfortunately, there are no pics of the production line to show you.

It was a fascinating tour, though. It takes approximately 3 days, start to finish, for a new Corvette to finish the line. I think I remember them saying that the line moved at approximately 1.5 miles per hour, snaking its way through through the building. When a Corvette finally finishes the production run, and gets started for the first time ('birthed'), they do an emissions run and then put it in a special room to have water shot at it from something like 60 different directions to check for water tightness. That's why, when you buy a new Vette, it comes with about five miles on the odometer.

MCNE,
Was your 1700 miles one way or round-trip? Our Colorado Caravan put on something like 2,400 miles round trip, and other than Bill's power steering hose needing replacement, there were no problems for any of us.

-Patrick

 

[Edmond]

Patrick,

That still doesn't explain why people are having water leaks!:L:L:L

Is the closed shoe thing more of a safety issue?

 

[bossvette]

what the "canned" tour doesn't show is the test track out back where the new Vettes are put thru their paces before being shipped. When I was there last October the whole back lot was full of C6's waiting to be released

 

[Patrick]

Edmond,
With all the heavy equipment moving around in there, I would have to guess that the closed-toe shoes requirement is a safety issue.

Bossvette,
You know, I would have liked to see that track. That would have been cool. I think the only Vettes they put on the track are the MVB's- Manufacturer Validation Builds (The ones they don't end up selling to the public). I mean, I have a feeling the owner of a new Vette isn't likely to appreciate having a delivery (even an NCM delivery) in which their "new" car has a couple of hundred miles on the clock.

-Patrick

 

[Edmond]

They did some sort of special on the C6 on the History Channel. At the end, they did show every car going on the dyno. It was pretty cool!

 

[bossvette]

the ones we saw when we were there only did a lap or two to make sure everything worked, but we did hear some tire squeels :L

 

[Toms007]

The thing I remember most is, THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THE CLOSED TOES SHOES. I had to return to the motel to get mine, the wifes and Claudia's and nearly missed the tour. And I doubt they were using the track out back when we got done with our tour as it was raining cats and dogs.

 

[Rain]

I was just there for the C5/C6 bash and snagged one of the lucky-dog private plant tours..
BOY O BOY was that something!

I dont think we stuck to the regular tour areas for more than 5 minutes of the nearly 3 hours we were snaking around the robots and the line. (we too went out back but only got to play in a new Cady XLR and a Z06.. whether or not we saw a 2006 Corvette cannot be confirmed or denied..