Bowling Green To Chandler 10/06/06

[VetteDream]

Well I have my date and time locked down for my new arrival. My 2007 LMB Convertible, Grey Top, Titanium Two Tone, MN6, F55, 3LT, NCM Delivery beauty will be built next week and delivered to me 10/06/2006. I am beyond excitement as this is my first Vette. My son drools with anticipation as he poors over the WCC catalog telling me all the mods we need to make. My wife has finally caught the bug and now she wants to join my son and I at the Meuseum for the total experience. :D And so all three of us are flying there October 5th. Delivery at NCM is 10/06/06 at 7:45 am. Geoff and I will be driving back, and my wife volunteered (at my son's insistance) to fly home.

So the question I have for my fellow Arizona Vette Net members is; have any of you taken the NCM delivery and if so, what route did you take back from Bowling Green?

Warren

[nort99]

Congrats! From what I hear you will love the whole deal. And your wife is a sweet gal it sound like. Nice of her to fly back, while you and your son enjoy that thing of beauty.

Hope you have fun.

[MOTV8]

Wow, thats cool! Congrats on your new "baby"!

Having driven back and forth between Phoenix and Memphis, TN quite a few times (although not in a sweet 'vette ), I'd say I preferred the I65, I40, I30, I20, I10 route. Seems a little longer than I40 route, and Texas takes forever, but you see more "scenery" I think....unless Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle count as "scenery" somehow...

[Eddie44]

My wife and I did the Hot Rod Power Tour summer before last. It went through Bowling Green to Nashville. We did the plant tour and NCM and then headed home via the I40 route. Not the most scenic but definitely some places you can open that baby up and see what it'll do. I know a couple people here that have done the NCM delivery. Dan C (Vettetax) and Dave (DZNTSUK) both did the NCM delivery.

PS - remember to all wear long pants and closed toed shoes for the plant tour.

[Loud Pedal]

We took delivery of the Z at the museum. It is an experience worth every penny and one you won't soon forget. I got a nasty cold on the way back, which squelched our grand plans of running route 66. I just wanted to get home and nurse myself back to health. We ended up just riding 10 all the way in, which in a brand new Z, still didn't suck.

However, if your car has a nav system in it, I would highly recommend doing what we did for the break-in. Have it navigate you to Nashville from Bowling Green and select not to take any major roads. It was some of the coolest back road, back country twisties. Lots of chances to run it through RPM ranges and gears.

Enjoy your trip back and watch the smokies in Tennessee. I got pulled over for some total bs. I think he just wanted to scope out the car.

Congrats on your new baby. I LOVE that blue.

David

[MadMax]

My wife and I did the Hot Rod Power Tour summer before last. It went through Bowling Green to Nashville. We did the plant tour and NCM and then headed home via the I40 route. Not the most scenic but definitely some places you can open that baby up and see what it'll do. I know a couple people here that have done the NCM delivery. Dan C (Vettetax) and Dave (DZNTSUK) both did the NCM delivery.

PS - remember to all wear long pants and closed toed shoes for the plant tour.

I did the BG tour and Musueum delivery in March. Great experience. One thing I would do is to be sure you get in a few days early to take in some of the local sites, blues in Nashville, Jack Daniels Distillery, great BBQ joints etc. Go on line and check out sites you may be interested in the BG area and your trip back, lots to see on this trip.

We took in a lot of small towns and side roads the first 500 break in miles, tough to do but we had a great times seeing and eating small town America. I can't recommend a good route because I did a side track to see some relatives. I did take portions of Route 66 through NM and AZ.

Whatever route you take, take your time and enjoy a stress free trip.

My wife wants do do it again! Guess I'll be lookin at a new Z06! hahahaha

A few boring pics;

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/548645526...052930862kFrPbo

[Guest XLR8TNC5]

Man, I would absolutely LOVE to do something along the same lines someday. I have always wanted to do a New England to Southern Cali trip in a sweet ass car. But my stipulation would be to do it as fast as possible without being stopped. lol.

Cool pics Madmax!

Enjoy your delivery and have fun. Remember, it is all about having fun. Your wife is generous to take a flight back, as I can tell you I would not be so generous if I had a son..... lol...

Take care and safe trekking!

Tanya

[Guest Kens06]

Congrats!!

Make sure you have someone here with Internet access!

You can phone them when you get there.

The NCM has 6 webcams for "Delivery" they can access and get screen shots of you all taking ownership!!

Just another cudo the NCM provides if you have other friends/relatives that would like to share the experience!!

NCM Webcam page

Ken

[BSeery]

how much time do you want to spend on your return trip?

I live just south of Nashville and I know some AWESOME roads in this area.

Look into taking the Natchez Trace route down from Nashville to Mississippi. Or maybe through the Ozarks in southern Missouri.

Come down this way for a trip to Jack Daniels, or tour some of the makers up in Kentucky. Jim Beam, Makers Mark and a few others are close to B.G.

Make sure to get the Corvette plant tour if it's not included with the museum delivery.

I may be racing at Bowling Green on the 6th, 7th or 8th -- I have to look at the schedule.

[VetteDream]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Looks like I am only going to have 3 days to make the drive back. Work has me travelling non stop through 10/05. Had to change my flight to meet the wife and son in Nashville Thursday night. Friday will be NCM day and then drive to Nashville. My wife flies out at 8am Saturday and the Geoff and I will have till Monday evening to get back to Chandler. Looks like we'll be doing I40 and hopefully catch a couple of sections of the old rt 66. BSEERY thanks and I'll take your recomendations to AAA when I go in to get my TripTik.

Thanks for the suggestion on the NCM web cam. I know my parents and brother will be watching from San Diego and LA. My brother is pretty good with the web and I am sure he could capture some of the action.

Question: Should I buy a bra and side mirror coverings at NCM or get one and bring it with me for the drive back?

Warren

Oh yeah, My Corsa Sports arrived today so 10/10 looks like first mod.

[Eddie44]

I would definitely suggest the bra and mirror covers. I've had a couple different brands but now have the GM bra and highly recommend it for ease of installation and secure mounting (ask Tim how important that is). You could easily do it in an hour in the parking lot of your hotel with minimal help from the kid. I've got the C5 version but I'm sure by now they make a C6 version. Have a great trip!

[VetteDream]

I would definitely suggest the bra and mirror covers. I've had a couple different brands but now have the GM bra and highly recommend it for ease of installation and secure mounting (ask Tim how important that is). You could easily do it in an hour in the parking lot of your hotel with minimal help from the kid. I've got the C5 version but I'm sure by now they make a C6 version. Have a great trip!

Thanks Eddie. Do you know if they sell the GM Bra at the museum or do I need to bring one with me?

[Eddie44]

I don't remember seeing them when I was there. Below is a link to the NCM Store, you might surf a little there. I'd probably run by a dealer and p/u one if I was you.

http://store.corvettemuseum.com/SearchResu...px?CategoryID=3

[VetteDream]

Yep, I went out to the NCM site and all I saw was the the color match Bra. Don't know if it was a SLB or a Colgan, but it was expensive. I'll see if they have one at the dealership clsoe to where I am staying right now in Ohio. If not, I am sure that Fred Beans can get one. Any special tools needed to install the GM?

Thanks again Eddie!

[Eddie44]

The C5 version just goes on with a phillips screwdriver. You take out a couple screws along the inner fender and under the nose and replace them with snaps. From then on you just snap on snap off as you need it. After the initial install it only takes about 5 mins to install. Thats a big part of what I liked over the others.

[BSeery]

If you only have 3 days to get back then the Trace may not be for you. If you stick decently close to the speed limit and drive 15-16 hours per day, it will take 2 very full days to get home. 3 days of 600 miles each is easily do-able, that is how I did it in my old bone bruiser when I made the trip. This will give some time to stop and see the sights, and give time for real meals on the trip and not just fast food.

[Eddie44]

I wouldn't do the two day cause you'll be beat when you get back and once you pass out the wife, who was so nice as to give up her seat will be out cruising in the new C6.

[MadMax]

I ordered a Calgon bra and shipped it in advance along with my video cam, camera, Valentine and other miscellaneous stuff that I didn't want to lug on the plane or have turn up missing by going through baggage.

You can contact the NCM and ask for Gary Cockriel. I shipped my stuff to him to hold. Very accomodating.

Gary Cockriel # is 270-781-7973 x 124.

gary@corvettemuseum.com

http://www.corvettemuseum.com/email/index.shtml

[VetteTax]

Congrats, you'll remember the experience, always.

See my sig. I spent 3 weeks on an 'around-the-nation' experience with my gf at the time. By the time I got back to PHX, Electra had over 5400 miles on the odometer, and 3 oil changes (500 mile, 3500mi, and when i got home at 5400mi)

KY - TN - NC - VA - DC - DE - MA - NJ - NY - PA- OH - IN - IL - WI - SD - MT - WY - ID - UT - AZ

or something like that

[Guest 1FASTC4]

Oh my... this sounds like a great time. Congrats!! I am looking forward to pics... don't let us down!

[VetteDream]

Thanks for all the advise and good wishes. Just got confirmation today that she was built yesterday and I know have a VIN #. Pretty stoked right now. Went to the dealership I purchased through in Ohio (I was in the area on business) and met Rick Conti face to face. Good guy and we did his delivery walk through using one of the show room floor vehicles. He showed me all the various rims . Too bad the polished have been on constraint as they sure looked good. Saw the Automic Orange up close and personal. Not as orange as all the pics on the internet. Has a distinct copper tone to it.

Yes I will take lots of pics and post them here for your viewing pleasure.

Warren

[VetteDream]

Well, I now have my Vette. What a work of art. Picked her up in Bowling green and had a fantastic three drive back. My only disappointment was that we had stopped in Alberquque as this was the week for the hot air ballon festival and due to weather all the events while we were there were cancelled. The drive through the painted desert with the top down is one I am sure to repeat more than once. route 89 provide several opportunities to explore the power under the hood.

Chad @AZ Power and Sound is set to swap out the rims and add a Corsa Exhaust on Monday.

I have a grin that cannot be wiped off. Thanks for this forum and all the advice. Hope to meet up with you soon or at least see you on the road.. .. I'm the one in a 07 LMB Convertible with a Sh*t eating grin...

Warren

[Bigfoot]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

[CZYDMND]

She's pretty I like

[nort99]

Wow that baby sure look nice. Can't wait to her up close. Look forward to meeting you. :D I bet the ride in desert was wonderful?