What Is Happening At The BGA Plant

[Zora]

We are lucky to have Kai Spande at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager. I have been fortunate to get to know him professionally, and to attend many of his BGA status updates. We are fortunate to have his latest, November 7th presentation on assorted C7 information, especially regarding the ZR1, and some information about the Plant’s current status. To me very interesting, as no one of us have been allowed in the Plant since its last fall’s guts-and-rebuild.

If interested:

ZR1 & Other BGA Assembly Information - MidEngineCorvetteForum.com

And some screen print slides from his presentation...

 

[ddgermann]

That was a good read

Thanks

 

[Zora]

We just received some pertinent, additional information from Jag. I totally agree with his conclusions at the end also. Of course, when will the reveal be, and when will the tours resume becomes critical to many, and even more so for those who will postpone their 2020 ME purchase until it is 100% confirmed that the Buyers Tour option will resume in time for those to see their ME’s actually being built. For those who are unfamiliar with what the Buyers Tour is, please see the next post in a couple of minutes.

No public tours in the plant.
2) No non-employees in the plant.
3) No engine build experience now in the PBC.
4) No NCM employees allowed in the plant to work on tour plans.
5) No announcement on when tours will resume.

Logical conclusion: There are MEs in the plant and occasionally being built on the assembly line and GM doesn't want us to know when the ME reveal will take place. Once the reveal takes place, NCM employees will be allowed in the plant to work on tour plans with plant tours resuming shortly thereafter.

 

[Zora]

To me, doing a Buyers Tour, which I have done on both my C6 and my C7 Z06’s were the single best experiences of both of their ownership. Spending two/three days walking along side your car being built, with your personal guide who never leaves your side, and your single invited guest, is unequalled IMO. Your guide is, most of the time, a just-retired, BGA plant worker. As you walk along as parts of your car are progressively added onto it, your guide points out literally hundreds, if not 1,000+ details over the approximate 15 hours.

What is a special extra treat, is that many of the assembly line employees, as their time allows, will come over and talk to you (you and your guest are readily visible in your safety vests), and the employees’ know that it is your Corvette that they are building. They are friendly, and IMO, their knowing your are watching your car being built by then, your car’s assembly get their very best expertise.

I remember on my C7, that one of the workers, a huge gentlemen carrying what looked like an eight pound rubber mallet, before starting on my car, came over to me and said, “I do not want you to be worried, that the very loud thunks from my beating on your car, will cause any damage, but I will be seating the carpet in the corner behind the seats, and it takes a massive shot on each corner to properly make it confirm to that corner.”

And damn, it was a couple of super loud hits that followed. Afterwards, he came back over and said, “your carpet is seated perfectly, and your car was uninjured” — with a huge smile on his face. And then we talked a a little more.

Again, if Buyers Tours are delayed, I will delay my ME’s order going in.

Here’s the details, and please do not worry about the legal disclosure statement in the below link, that you might not see you actual car be made, for in the years of that program, averaging hundred of them annually, no one has failed to see their own Corvette be made.

Buyers’ Tour – National Corvette Museum

 

[DDHRocks]

I strongly considered waiting to buy my Corvette until I could get a factory order and make the trip to see it built. I happened to stumble across a near perfect match car that made me buy early, but I would be truly sad to see this type of program stop. I think any high end dealer should offer this. Hell, I can see even the luxury pickup truck owners enjoying this. You drop $85k on a farm truck, you should be able to see it built too.

 

[Zora]

Nice to see that today marked the 12,000th NCM Museum Delivery. We sure enjoyed ours, and are considering doing it for our C8.

 

[YFCvii]

12000 deliveries Eh
Watched a few online and would love to be there
but not to take delivery of my own as I'm not really one for that ...
but I do like the idea of giving congrats to others getting theirs.
Bowling Green is on my Bucket List but between the
"zoo times" of a Caravan.

I see they have what appears to be a simulation experience of some sort on the Delivery Boulevard ...

 

[YFCvii]

and Delivery Station #9 would have my complete attention today
... even though it's raining outside ... White Vert & Low Wing & Chrome Wheels