Outstanding Bowling Green Assembly Updates Video

[Zora]

I have been having withdrawals by our not being allowed in the BGA Plant for tours. Thanks to Jeremy Welborn (“jagamajajaran”), we have this excellent video he compiled by not just taking the different videos presented by Plant Manager, KAi Spande, but by his skillfully integrating them, and by his adding in descriptive information so we can imagine we are now on a plant tour. Thank you jagamajajaran!

2018 Bowling Green Assembly Plant Tour Video - MidEngineCorvetteForum.com

 

[YFCvii]

I enjoyed the video a lot & thank you & also to the member of the other site for finding it …
I think this link below will get us there directly … the other forum comments lost my interest
as soon as there was mention of not liking the fact that Corvette Line Workers do look like
the workers of foreign models (dress and stature). Just my opinion … and YYSSW

 

[AxeZ06]

I liked the camera in the car. That's a good view for anyone who hasn't worked, or been, in an assembly plant.
Employee dedication seems positive! Back in the day when quantity overshadowed quality, we wore t-shirts shirts that read, "we screw fords together" (in capital letters......wish I had pics).
When plant tours came by, we had signs. Large poster size signs, with rediculous things written on them. (sadly, no pics. Dial telephones back then)
Sorry bout the o/t.

 

[Zora]

I put myself thought college assembling Fords during the summers, and let’s be charitable and say that quality was the opposite of what we collectively did, especially as we were required to work at a 56 vehicles per hour pace.

One of the biggest changes as a result of last fall’s Plant reorg, was a reduction from 17.2 Corvettes per hour, to now down to 11.5/hour.

 

[AxeZ06]

Congrats on surviving the summers!
Do you suppose the hourly production is down to 11 because of the engines, (caddy shares the engine house i believe) excessive dealer stock, or otherwise?

 

[Zora]

I was there when Kai Spande said that the reasons they reduced the rate to 11.5 hour, was to increase quality and to “right size production for an entire Corvette generation.”

 

[Duntov7]

Great video....thanx.
I have nice memories of watching/walking-with my 1998 C5 in process of assembly at Bowling Green...lots of fun, with several lady-employees signing the black frame with silver markers. One observation....at lunch, some male macho employees sat in various Corvettes (NOT mine) at their 'station' (line stopped for lunch break), and smoked cigarettes in the driver's seat ! Apparently a union concession in those days. The good old days......

 

[Zora]

Glad you had that wonderful experience while your C5 was being made! I loved my Buyers Tours for both my C6 and my C7, really looking forward to doing another one for my ME.

As you suspicioned, none of what you observed then happens nowadays, e.g., no smoking, no sitting in cars unless your special job requires you to be inside of them (and of course, now protective film on the seat anyway). One of the more recent changes was “no rings” in the plant (except employee locker rooms). No metal bracklets either. You can imagine the furor when folks who had not taken off their wedding rings in decades, were no longer allowed to wear them while actively working on the line (instituted both for employee safety and for less vehicle parts’ damage).