My NCM experience

[c7speed]

What a great experience! I will definitely do this again if we buy another one.

Everything leading up to the deliver was smooth. I was in email contact with Gary (Delivery Manager) and Lori as soon as I had my order number. They answered every email promptly.

I ordered the Photo Album and received a couple of pictures after build completion. I was able to schedule a deliver date after I got these since I knew the car was done.

I took my dad with me since he's owned a few vettes. We were greeted at the door by Ron Barton who was our delivery coordinator. He's a former plant worker and is extremely knowledgeable about the entire process. My name was on the screen at the museum. We walked out to a van to drive to the plant. As I was about to get in the van I stepped on this:

The VIP plant tour was quite a bit better than the public tour we took this past summer. We got to see more areas, but most of all we had time to ask a lot of questions that an intern really would not be able to answer. Ron introduced us to quite a few people at the plant, everyone was quite friendly.

Towards the end of the tour the cars are brought into a screening area with intense lights so paint inspection can be done. After that, they start up the car for the first time. As we were standing there, the area supervisor came over and asked if one of us would like to start the next car on the line. I volunteered my dad to do it so he got to start somebody's car for the first time. They gave him a "birth" certificate. Pretty neat.

I got a peek at the storage lot with hundreds of vettes sitting there. All of them had about 6 inches of snow on them!

After the plant tour Ron asked what we'd like to do next. I opted to have the "delivery" of the car while my dad went through the museum. We ate lunch after that and Ron drove the car out of the museum with me riding. All of the employees of the museum form a line an cheer on your way out.

I was also allowed to drive the car up the plant doors for a couple of pictures.

Remember, the NCM is a non-profit organization not part of GM so everything is a tax deductible donation (I think, check with your tax adviser). Because of this, everyone wants to sell you stuff (bricks, clothing, advertising, etc), but it was really friendly, no pressure. I gave Ron a $50 tip at the end, he deserved it.

Next time, I'd plan 4 or 5 days from the date of deliver and spend the whole day and night in Bowling Green and leave early in the morning instead of 1:30 in the afternoon. It turns out the bra I bought was missing some pieces so I wound up getting a few rock chips on the way home, but oh well!

It's worth the cost, any Corvette guy or gal will love the experience.

A few random facts I learned:

The plant is across the street from the museum and NCM deliver cars are still put on a car carrier and delivered to the museum.

Bowling Green is a premier plant to work at, the waiting list to get transferred was at one time 8k people.

Rear bumper and nose are painted off site and shipped in.

The Grand Sport with manual transmission has the dry sump, hand built motor, except for the convertible (bummer for me).

The GS represents about 70% of production at the plant.

Z06 production is way down and it's a likely possibility the model will be discontinued, the fact about the hand built motor above supports this.

The plant currently does not have capability to weld the Z06 and ZR1 aluminum frames but they are setting that up for the future. So likely the C7 or a later model C6 will have the aluminum frame.

It will probably take about 30 days to re-tool the plant for the C7.

The C7 will have a split window, with a likely resemblance to the Transformers car.

[MOTV8]

Wow, thanks for 'taking the rest of us with you' and sharing your experience! Too cool. And the vette is freaking gorgeous, congrats!

[P51tj]

Thanks for the tour and great lookin car!

[Bigfoot]

Awesome dude. I'm so jealous.

[StevieG]

Great write up, glad you enjoyed the experience and it makes me want to go there now even just for a visit. Oh, your car looks sweet

[old yeller]

We are in the process of planning a family trip back there in April. Not to buy a new vette but tour the plant. To my suprise, my wife is warming up to the idea of a C-6 Z-06.

[Malcolm]

Congrats!! That's a beautiful car. Glad to hear you had a great experience!

[Buccaneer]

That's awesome and hopefully some day I'll be able to do this when I buy my new C? Long story short, I had started the ordering process back in 2002 at Brown and Brown for a new 03 and to take delivery at the muesum, but then I was notified that I was getting canned from Motorola after five years...I was bummed to say the least.

[LastC3]

Awesome ride .... thx for sharing your experience with us ....

[Desertdawg]

Very cool write up and what an awesome looking ride x 10