The C6 Story- Very Long!
03-05-2006, 06:37 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
The C6 Story- Very Long!
Our C6 Story
This story has many paths.
A bit of our History.
In 1971 we bought our first Corvette. It was a 1967 , 327-350 HP Yellow Roadster, and we used it that year to tour the East coast of Canada for two weeks in July. We sold it in 1973.
Note:- Gary bought it to impress Nancy so she would go out with him. It worked.
In 1986 Nancy makes the suggestion to buy a Classic Corvette for weekend drives.
In October 1987, we bought a 1962. It is Ermine White with a White Top and Black Interior and also has a Hardtop.
In 1988 we joined the National Corvette Restorers Society and a local Club. We have met and become friends with people from all over North America.
In 1993 we found out that the National Convention in 1995 was going to be in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I decided it was time to do a frame off restoration on the 1962. Not for show, but for mechanical safety.
On the Monday July 18, 1995 we left for Indianapolis, Indiana to join the start of the National Road Tour to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We arrived home Sunday afternoon July 31, 1995. The rush, and feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of driving 4,500 miles in a car that I took apart and put back together, I still cannot put it into words.
We bought a 1978 Indy Pace Car in 1988, which we sold in 1996 with 8,000 Original KM.
In 1992 we bought a 1988 Coupe for Nancy to drive all year and that we could use to drive to Meets further afield, when it was not feasible to take the '62.
In 1997 we found out that the NCRS Convention was to be in Sun Valley, Idaho. We decided after seeing and reading about the new C5 that it would be a perfect time to up-grade from the 1988. In January 1998 we ordered a 1999. On March 5,1999 we picked up our 1999 Nassau Blue Convertible which was born on February 25,1999.
On September 25th, 2002 we took delivery of our 50th Anniversary Edition Convertible, which was born on Sept. 18, 2002. Because Nancy just retired it was her retirement gift from me.
The C6.Last year when the C6 was introduced I fell in love with it. Nancy decided it was time for me to receive a special gift. For my birthday in 2006 I should order one. We placed the order for a Velocity Yellow Coupe for delivery in March. (My birthday is not until August but she wanted me to enjoy the Vette as much as possible.)
On February 7th my dealer gave me the order number for my C6 which should be on line the week of the 20th. I contacted Bowling Green and found out that it will go on line Monday February 20th at 11:00 a.m. and come off on February 21st at 10:00 a.m.. Rush plans were made to go to Bowling Green to see our C6 built.
Kevin Tarrence, who looks after the Tours, was already booked those days. He suggested I contact Sonny Kilgo, who used to do this job before retiring, to see if he would escort us through the Plant. I had met Sonny a few times in the past at the Plant as well as at the Corvette Museum Sonny and contacted him. Sonny was more than willing to escort us through the Plant to see our C6 being built.
When we arrived in Bowling Green on Sunday what do we see in front of the Plant? A Velocity Yellow, Tan Interior, Automatic with Paddle-shift, C6 Coupe up on the ramps. Exactly what we ordered.
The Tour.
We met Sonny at 11:00 a.m. and after signing in and viewing the safety video we were taken to where our C6's body was on the line.
The interior was just being installed. As the line progressed the doors were hung, body panels bolted on, electrical harnesses checked, front and rear windows installed, etc. As each panel was installed gauges were used to check the gaps between panels to ensure they were perfect.
To check the wiring harnesses for faults the front connector is plugged into a "test power supply" and every function is tested. Even to see if the "Start" button worked. I guess this is really the "First Start". I was invited to sit in the passenger seat and watch the Tech test the systems and was asked If I wanted to "Start" the car. Of Course I did!
We continued on following the assembly of the body to where the "Body" and "Chassis" meet. I call this the "Marriage". The two assemblies are now joined and the rest of the under carriage is going to be installed. It is now 3:45 p.m. and the Line is shutting down for the day.
Sonny figures out what time our car will be ready for the next "Start" where the engine is really started up. At a pace of 3 minutes per vehicle our Vette will reach "Start Up" at about 7:30 a.m. so we decided to meet at 7:00 a.m. the next day.
We meet at 7:00 a.m. and walk over to pick up our Tour where we left off yesterday.
We are a bit early for "Start Up" so we are taken over to where the Engines are "picked" and start on the line. They have been sequenced already and now the VIN numbers are scanned and etched on the Blocks. From here they are installed in the chassis and it moves down the line towards the "Marriage".
Back on the Main Line our Vette is reaching the "Start Up" point. Here I am asked if I want to "Start" our Vette. Again, OF COURSE!!! I sit in the passenger seat as this Technician checks out all the systems. Now we watch and wait as our Vette goes through a few more inspections and minor adjustments.
Our Vette now reaches the "End of the Line". But it goes through one more inspection for "body fit". This Technician uses an electronic device that measures the gap of ALL body panels. The result of each point shows up on a screen and if only one measured point does not meet the specs a big red "FAIL" flashes. Our had a Fail where the driver's side front fender meets the cowl. Two gentlemen jump in and quickly make an adjustment and it is rectified.
Now it is really at the end of the line. This is the "Final Start Up" and the wheels turn on their own for the first time. I am asked once again if I would like to "Start" it and "DRIVE" it off the line. OF COURSE!!!!!!!!
Here the Technician checks out all the systems once more including the brakes and Starting" in each of the Transmission settings. He checks out the Dash settings and sees the Vette is for a Canadian Delivery and sets the gages to Metric. He now points out that here something that I will NEVER see again. The odometer reads "0", ZERO. All is well and I am told "All is well" and to proceed off the line. What a thrill.
Here the car was taken through the alignment area, to the test booth, into the water pressure test, out onto the short road test track, before going through another inspection area before going out to the shipping area.
From seeing out Corvette being pieced together by some very talented workers who take pride in their jobs to being the "First" one to actually drive it.
Other Great Memories.
As I mentioned previously Sonny Kilgo escorted us on our Tour. Sonny had worked at the St. Louis plant before coming to Bowling Green. He had worked in a few different areas of the Assembly Line before his last posting of Liaison between Dealership Service Departments and GM for Corvette related problems.
Because Sonny's personality he was well liked and now as he walks through the Plant many employees stop by and swap stories. Listening to some of these conversations was as interesting as watching our Vette being built.
The employees come from all over the country. A few from other Assembly Plants who had a little difficulty adjusting to the pace and of the quality control expected. It was very interesting to hear some employees refer to themselves, with pride, as "locals"
Each worker is very responsible for his or her area and the quality has to be right before the car can move on down the line.
It felt a bit strange at first when a worker would walk over to us and shake our hand and say "Thank you for buying a Corvette". It was also good to see that employees felt comfortable enough to joke with us about putting a part on crooked or where we wanted the "pop bottle" hung to see how long it would take the dealer to find the rattle.
Meeting some of the Employees was also a very rewarding experience.
Gary and Nancy Bishop
Ontario, Canada
Proud Owners of a Bowling Green Corvette.
This story has many paths.
A bit of our History.
In 1971 we bought our first Corvette. It was a 1967 , 327-350 HP Yellow Roadster, and we used it that year to tour the East coast of Canada for two weeks in July. We sold it in 1973.
Note:- Gary bought it to impress Nancy so she would go out with him. It worked.
In 1986 Nancy makes the suggestion to buy a Classic Corvette for weekend drives.
In October 1987, we bought a 1962. It is Ermine White with a White Top and Black Interior and also has a Hardtop.
In 1988 we joined the National Corvette Restorers Society and a local Club. We have met and become friends with people from all over North America.
In 1993 we found out that the National Convention in 1995 was going to be in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I decided it was time to do a frame off restoration on the 1962. Not for show, but for mechanical safety.
On the Monday July 18, 1995 we left for Indianapolis, Indiana to join the start of the National Road Tour to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We arrived home Sunday afternoon July 31, 1995. The rush, and feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of driving 4,500 miles in a car that I took apart and put back together, I still cannot put it into words.
We bought a 1978 Indy Pace Car in 1988, which we sold in 1996 with 8,000 Original KM.
In 1992 we bought a 1988 Coupe for Nancy to drive all year and that we could use to drive to Meets further afield, when it was not feasible to take the '62.
In 1997 we found out that the NCRS Convention was to be in Sun Valley, Idaho. We decided after seeing and reading about the new C5 that it would be a perfect time to up-grade from the 1988. In January 1998 we ordered a 1999. On March 5,1999 we picked up our 1999 Nassau Blue Convertible which was born on February 25,1999.
On September 25th, 2002 we took delivery of our 50th Anniversary Edition Convertible, which was born on Sept. 18, 2002. Because Nancy just retired it was her retirement gift from me.
The C6.Last year when the C6 was introduced I fell in love with it. Nancy decided it was time for me to receive a special gift. For my birthday in 2006 I should order one. We placed the order for a Velocity Yellow Coupe for delivery in March. (My birthday is not until August but she wanted me to enjoy the Vette as much as possible.)
On February 7th my dealer gave me the order number for my C6 which should be on line the week of the 20th. I contacted Bowling Green and found out that it will go on line Monday February 20th at 11:00 a.m. and come off on February 21st at 10:00 a.m.. Rush plans were made to go to Bowling Green to see our C6 built.
Kevin Tarrence, who looks after the Tours, was already booked those days. He suggested I contact Sonny Kilgo, who used to do this job before retiring, to see if he would escort us through the Plant. I had met Sonny a few times in the past at the Plant as well as at the Corvette Museum Sonny and contacted him. Sonny was more than willing to escort us through the Plant to see our C6 being built.
When we arrived in Bowling Green on Sunday what do we see in front of the Plant? A Velocity Yellow, Tan Interior, Automatic with Paddle-shift, C6 Coupe up on the ramps. Exactly what we ordered.
The Tour.
We met Sonny at 11:00 a.m. and after signing in and viewing the safety video we were taken to where our C6's body was on the line.
The interior was just being installed. As the line progressed the doors were hung, body panels bolted on, electrical harnesses checked, front and rear windows installed, etc. As each panel was installed gauges were used to check the gaps between panels to ensure they were perfect.
To check the wiring harnesses for faults the front connector is plugged into a "test power supply" and every function is tested. Even to see if the "Start" button worked. I guess this is really the "First Start". I was invited to sit in the passenger seat and watch the Tech test the systems and was asked If I wanted to "Start" the car. Of Course I did!
We continued on following the assembly of the body to where the "Body" and "Chassis" meet. I call this the "Marriage". The two assemblies are now joined and the rest of the under carriage is going to be installed. It is now 3:45 p.m. and the Line is shutting down for the day.
Sonny figures out what time our car will be ready for the next "Start" where the engine is really started up. At a pace of 3 minutes per vehicle our Vette will reach "Start Up" at about 7:30 a.m. so we decided to meet at 7:00 a.m. the next day.
We meet at 7:00 a.m. and walk over to pick up our Tour where we left off yesterday.
We are a bit early for "Start Up" so we are taken over to where the Engines are "picked" and start on the line. They have been sequenced already and now the VIN numbers are scanned and etched on the Blocks. From here they are installed in the chassis and it moves down the line towards the "Marriage".
Back on the Main Line our Vette is reaching the "Start Up" point. Here I am asked if I want to "Start" our Vette. Again, OF COURSE!!! I sit in the passenger seat as this Technician checks out all the systems. Now we watch and wait as our Vette goes through a few more inspections and minor adjustments.
Our Vette now reaches the "End of the Line". But it goes through one more inspection for "body fit". This Technician uses an electronic device that measures the gap of ALL body panels. The result of each point shows up on a screen and if only one measured point does not meet the specs a big red "FAIL" flashes. Our had a Fail where the driver's side front fender meets the cowl. Two gentlemen jump in and quickly make an adjustment and it is rectified.
Now it is really at the end of the line. This is the "Final Start Up" and the wheels turn on their own for the first time. I am asked once again if I would like to "Start" it and "DRIVE" it off the line. OF COURSE!!!!!!!!
Here the Technician checks out all the systems once more including the brakes and Starting" in each of the Transmission settings. He checks out the Dash settings and sees the Vette is for a Canadian Delivery and sets the gages to Metric. He now points out that here something that I will NEVER see again. The odometer reads "0", ZERO. All is well and I am told "All is well" and to proceed off the line. What a thrill.
Here the car was taken through the alignment area, to the test booth, into the water pressure test, out onto the short road test track, before going through another inspection area before going out to the shipping area.
From seeing out Corvette being pieced together by some very talented workers who take pride in their jobs to being the "First" one to actually drive it.
Other Great Memories.
As I mentioned previously Sonny Kilgo escorted us on our Tour. Sonny had worked at the St. Louis plant before coming to Bowling Green. He had worked in a few different areas of the Assembly Line before his last posting of Liaison between Dealership Service Departments and GM for Corvette related problems.
Because Sonny's personality he was well liked and now as he walks through the Plant many employees stop by and swap stories. Listening to some of these conversations was as interesting as watching our Vette being built.
The employees come from all over the country. A few from other Assembly Plants who had a little difficulty adjusting to the pace and of the quality control expected. It was very interesting to hear some employees refer to themselves, with pride, as "locals"
Each worker is very responsible for his or her area and the quality has to be right before the car can move on down the line.
It felt a bit strange at first when a worker would walk over to us and shake our hand and say "Thank you for buying a Corvette". It was also good to see that employees felt comfortable enough to joke with us about putting a part on crooked or where we wanted the "pop bottle" hung to see how long it would take the dealer to find the rattle.
Meeting some of the Employees was also a very rewarding experience.
Gary and Nancy Bishop
Ontario, Canada
Proud Owners of a Bowling Green Corvette.
03-05-2006, 07:53 PM
#3
Race Director
What a fantastic story, thanks for sharing that with us!
I might only be 36 years old, but I have been a Corvette fan for 20 years now. I wanted one ever since I learned how to drive, and in fact when I was only 17 I got my first chance to drive a Vette, it was a baby blue 78 with an L82 engine and 4 speed manual. A few years later at the age of 21, I got my first Corvette of my own, a 1984 model. It unfortunately had too many problems for me to keep it and I sold it after just two months. But I always kept my love for the Corvette, and knew someday I'd get another one. In August 2004 I got my wish, a black 98 coupe with only 51,000km on it. Not brand new, but pretty darn close! The previous owner kept this car immaculate, and I've done the same.
I took the Bowling Green plant tour twice, once in early 1997 when they first begun the C5 production and again in 1998. It was after that one that I really really began my plan to get into a Corvette, but the price tag was still too high for me (so I bought a new 98 Firebird Formula with the LS1 engine instead, since it was half the price at only $31,000)
I've been a big fan of all generations of Corvettes for many years, and just love reading stories like this one where other people have gone through their life enjoying Corvettes. I know I will always own a Corvette for the rest of my life, it's in my blood! People who have never owned a Corvette just don't understand the passion we have for this beautiful machine. It's more than just a vehicle, it's a way of life!
Thanks for making me remember my story too.
I might only be 36 years old, but I have been a Corvette fan for 20 years now. I wanted one ever since I learned how to drive, and in fact when I was only 17 I got my first chance to drive a Vette, it was a baby blue 78 with an L82 engine and 4 speed manual. A few years later at the age of 21, I got my first Corvette of my own, a 1984 model. It unfortunately had too many problems for me to keep it and I sold it after just two months. But I always kept my love for the Corvette, and knew someday I'd get another one. In August 2004 I got my wish, a black 98 coupe with only 51,000km on it. Not brand new, but pretty darn close! The previous owner kept this car immaculate, and I've done the same.
I took the Bowling Green plant tour twice, once in early 1997 when they first begun the C5 production and again in 1998. It was after that one that I really really began my plan to get into a Corvette, but the price tag was still too high for me (so I bought a new 98 Firebird Formula with the LS1 engine instead, since it was half the price at only $31,000)
I've been a big fan of all generations of Corvettes for many years, and just love reading stories like this one where other people have gone through their life enjoying Corvettes. I know I will always own a Corvette for the rest of my life, it's in my blood! People who have never owned a Corvette just don't understand the passion we have for this beautiful machine. It's more than just a vehicle, it's a way of life!
Thanks for making me remember my story too.
03-05-2006, 09:33 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Originally Posted by Miaugi
Great story Gary! 
Thanks for sharing.....and Congrats on the new ride!
Thanks for sharing.....and Congrats on the new ride!
