Got to drive my new C6 off the assembly line today

[mhassett]

Just got back from Bowling Green, Ky. It was well worth the trip. We got to spend the whole day walking along the line watching the car being built. The plant staff were very accommodating. It seemed as though the line moved slower than I had expected - possibly producing a better end product. Best of all, our guide arranged for me to get to start the car for its first time and drive it off the line. If any of you have a C6 on order, you really should make the time to visit as its being built. We were not allowed to bring a camera but our guide took these for us...

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant1.jpg

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant2.jpg

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant3.jpg

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant4.jpg

[mhassett]

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant8.jpg

Me driving off the line http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant5.jpg

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant6.jpg

http://www.ashtabularacing.com/Temp/C6/Plant7.jpg

[mockingbird812]

Nown THAT is cool! Congrats! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[MosportGreen66]

WOW! That is neat...

[JoeG]

Can't get any newer than that...... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[oboym]

Cool car mark Congrats

[LVCamaro]

Way to go Mark! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[JChlupsa]

WOW thats neat Mark. So do I see a Sandlin/Hassett match race at SCR9????

[CamarosRus]

Mark, While participating in the 2005 Hot Rod Power Tour, some of the cars stopped at the Vette plant. You didnt mention it, but some C6 buyers pay for the option of getting their Corvette delivered at the nearby Corvette National Museum.
Congrats on the purchase and delivery of your new baby.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/CamarosRus/Hot%20Rod%20Power%20Tour%202005%20PLUS/HRPT3Aa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/CamarosRus/Hot%20Rod%20Power%20Tour%202005%20PLUS/HRPT3B.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/CamarosRus/Hot%20Rod%20Power%20Tour%202005%20PLUS/HRPT3Bn.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/CamarosRus/Hot%20Rod%20Power%20Tour%202005%20PLUS/HRPT3Bq.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/CamarosRus/Hot%20Rod%20Power%20Tour%202005%20PLUS/HRPT3Bqa.jpg

[SS427]

Thanks to Tom Hendricks I have been there and done that on a very private tour he arranged and it was well worth the trip!! Did they allow you to ride with the car through the chassis dyno? That was also pretty wild to participate in as well. Nice shirt by the way. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif
Rick

[DarrenX33]

Very cool Mark. It must have been a blast!

[Xplantdad]

Cool Mark. That's something to treasure forever...

Nice meeting up with you at B-J. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Mr70]

Now that's something you don't hear about often.
How many hours did it take them to build your car Mark?

[SamLBInj]

Nice Mark, Congrats, Do you own that chevy dealership yet? And can I get a discount? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

[mhassett]

Chuck, on the Museum Display you have to pick-up your VETTE and it would be another week and then I would have to go back and get it--I was alittle worried about trailering it home (never know how the weather might be) Plus you still have to pay for the shipping from Chevrolet ($800.00). The Museum Vettes really were nice on Display and some of the owners were there picking them up.
Guys, you can't BELIEVE how NICE the Assembly Workers were to my SON & I -- REALLY they were THANKING us for Buying the Vette. When our Vette met the Chassis & Drivetrain and everything was hooked up, the Test Worker ran over and got me so I could be the first person to start it. When I drove it off the assembly line the man said "Look at the Odometer which said 0 -- you will never see that again!!"
Great Experience and we felt SPECIAL.
Mark http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[mhassett]

Rick, it takes (3) 8 HOUR SHIFTS to build a VETTE. The line goes Really SLOW -- the guide said it is all THE BEST WORKERS from the Other Plants that work there. A class of kids were making the tour with their teacher and she pointed out the Shiny BLUE VETTE!! She told her class that if they did their Best in school then someday they would be fortunate to have cars like these.
Mark http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[PeteLeathersac]

Mark....congrats on your C6 and the Bowling Green experience!!! . Would this be a day Zero car??? ~ Pete

[DaJudge]

The museum delivery package is cool ? Do they affix a plaque in the door jamb area with your name on it?

[70 copo]

Mark,

I gotta wonder if they will let us watch the new Camaro being built in the same way.... You know BG might not be a bad place to produce a new RWD car like the '09 Camaro.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Nice.

Phil

[OUTLAW]

Awesome, that is my dream to tour the plant as my new Vette is being built. Great choice of color too.

[mhassett]

Phil, I was talking to a lady that Water Tested my VETTE and she was transfered from Norwood Camaro Plant and she said there was a Very Good Chance that the Camaro would be built at Bowling Green. She hoped it wouldn't because she said they would be too crowded with the XLR/VETTE/Camaro.
Mark

[CamarosRus]

Mark, When I was the Vette Plant Tour, they were building some of the 1st ZO-6's that were earmarked for test purposes and engineering (not the normal dealer order cars). I was just a regular tour person, and had short misc conversations with a few of the workers.
I recall our tour guide saying that 17-18 Vettes were built per hour.....and the assy line moved at something like 1/2 mile per hour snaking for ?? miles around that HUGE building. You see a very limited amount of the actual assy being done, but very interesting none the less.

[Mr70]

Rus
Are these tours you speak of,open to the public?

[mhassett]

Rick, there are Public Tours and then if you are having a VETTE Built you get to WALK the ASSEMBLY LINE with your CAR. We got there Wednesday at 6:30 A.M. and left when our VETTE was FINISHED at 3:00 P.M. (the car was Painted on Monday, Tuesday it was started to be built.
It was a Real Experience to actually watch your car being built.
Just waiting now to get the car. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Mark

[Eddie M.]

Mark.....I have a 02 blue c5 is your color the same? its called electron blue

[mhassett]

Ed, the Blue for 2006 is called "LeMANS BLUE" it doesn't look like the LeMans Blue that is on the 69 Cars. We really liked the blue but couldn't deceide on the interior - we changed it from gray to Cashmere.
Mark

[Eddie M.]

sounds cool....that color looks darker to me then the lemans blue....I like it....good luck with it
Eddie

[SS427]

The public tours are cool but the private ones are priceless. Much more in depth explanations, up close and personal, you can go places the other tours won't take you, you get to start one of the cars and get a certificate and build sheet from that car, and you get to run the car through the dyno. Some of us have even gotten lucky enough to take the car out onto the track as each and every Vette is put through the paces on the track. As it was put to me after seeing this, the tour guide said they would rather have the car break while in their care then when the new owner has it. Unreal. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[enio45]

Mark, congrats on the car . .really cool to watch it being built. I did something simular with my 02 360 ferrari and my friend is the CIO for Ferrari, as a very special favor . . he sent one of his technology guys down to the assembly line over the week and they took 250 photos of the car being built. Absolutely priceless pics that i have with the car. The new vettes have the ferrari look to then with the headlamps and for 1/3rd the price....hmmmm!!

[mhassett]

Chuck, I kind of wish I would have got the "MUSEUM DELIVERY" it's too late now http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif -- I was just worried about trailering it home if the weather was bad.
Mark

[70 copo]

Mark,

You got an '84 C-4 too and a tour on the build of that car right? How did the two tours compare? How much changed?

Phil