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Well, I put the wheels in motion ordering a new 2017 Z06 3LZ. To make this thread a bit more interesting I will be going to Bowling Green to build my LT4 Supercharged Engine as part of RPO (option) PBC, I will also take part in the Corvette Buyers Tour RPO PD5, where I see my engine installed in the chassis and then follow my Stingray through the rest of the assembly process. Both options have hundreds of photos taken and documented in books.
I was a previous GM employee many years ago from the mid 70's to the mid 80's at the Rochester Products Division. I still have my GM Employee Badge and my UAW Skilled Trades Badge which I will wear at the plant (hoping to get employees to open up so I see and hear some insider info I normally wouldn't) during engine build and tour.
I haven't ordered a new car in many-many years. The last being a 1980 Corvette Stingray with the L-82 engine. I ordered on 11/22/79 and the car wasn't built and delivered until May 5, 1980. They built so few of the L82 engines that the engine factory in Tonawanda waited to run a large number at once. I know that won't happen to me this time as the factory is shutting down 6/2/17 for major changes.
I will try to keep this thread informative and interesting as I go through the process! I will show my build below, feel free to make comments, pose questions or whatever. The dealer will also be installing the Performance Aero Kit when it arrives from the factory, you'll see I ordered several components of the Z07 Package, but I didn't want all of the Z07, so this worked out well having that option.
RPO Description
1YZ07 Corvette Z06 Coupe
3LZ Z06 Preferred Equipment Group
G1E Long Beach Red Tintcoat
PCX Z06 Appearance Package
SM8 Custom Floor Lid Z06 Embroidered Logo
PBC Customer Engine Build Experience
PD5 Buyers Tour W/Engine Build Experience
5W8 Carbon Flash Ground Effects Package
J57 Ceramic Brake Rotors w/o Z07
J6D Painted Dark Gray Brake Calipers
EYK Chrome Badge Package
FAY Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
AE4 Competition Sport Seats - Kalahari Leather
M5U 8-Speed Paddle Shift Automatic
Q6B Z06 Chrome Aluminum Wheels
VRS Cargo Shade Genuine Accessory
ER1 Battery Protection Package
R8E Gas Guzzler Tax
I will try to share all kinds of stuff that is of interest to all who love Corvettes, how they're built, the people who build them, and the process of doing this.
ENGINE BUILD
Assemble the 650-hp supercharged LT4 engine for your Z06® at the new Performance Build Center inside the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. The Engine Build Experience is selected with order code PBC and is offered on all Z06 trim levels.
Includes:
• A full day with a Performance Build Center engine assembly technician who instructs and oversees the build
• A personalized engine plaque and poster identifying the customer who performed the engine build
• Professional photography of the experience
• Piston trophy commemorating the experience with customer name and date
• Build Your Own Engine Polo and Z06 cap
After the order is submitted, personnel from the National Corvette Museum will handle concierge services for the customer, following up on the scheduled build date and handling logistics on the day of the build. The customer is responsible for travel costs to Bowling Green and lodging.
On the day of the engine build, the customer arrives at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant front door at 5:45 AM CT.
5:45 AM – Greeted by National Corvette Museum Host
5:45 AM – 6:00 AM – Continental Breakfast
6:00 AM – Safety Presentation / Pre-Build Pictures
6:30 AM – Build Begins
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM – Lunch
11:45 AM – 1:30 PM – Complete Engine Build
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM – Cold Test Engine
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Completion Ceremony
3:00 PM – Departure (if circumstances allow, customers may tour the Bowling Green Assembly Plant)
Upon completion, the engine moves to the vehicle assembly area of the plant, where it will be installed with the scheduled assembly of the customer’s Z06. If you are interested in also watching your Corvette being built, RPO PD5 can be added on to the Engine Build so that the experience is compressed into a two or three day period and can be completed during one visit to Bowling Green.
The Engine Build Experience is the combination of two options for a total price tag of $7,500 (RPO PBC – $5,000 and RPO PD5 – $2,500) and includes the engine build, buyer’s tour, a photo album of your Corvette’s assembly and dinner with a senior manager from Bowling Green Assembly and a NCM representative. The option is available on sold orders only. Contact your favorite Chevrolet dealer to add this option on to your Corvette Z06 order.
Engine Build Program Cost: $5,000
For additional questions regarding the Engine Build program contact – Shane Webb at: shane@corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 205-4248 / (270) 777-4505. Lori Bieschke is also available to assist. She can be reached at lori@corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 205-4248 / (270) 467-8851.
BUYERS’ TOUR
We are excited to be able to offer the Corvette Buyer’s Plant Tour in conjunction with the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant! This program is offered to provide new Corvette buyer’s with a tour of the Assembly Plant.
See and experience the assembly of America’s Sports Car with your very own personal tour guide. You and 1 guest can enjoy a private tour of the Plant to see many areas not included on the general Plant tour. Your tour guide will provide information at the paint areas, body start area, installation of seats, doors, trunk, steering wheel, airbags, engine, etc. in addition to the general tour stops such as the marriage point, first start, end of line, DVT and water testing.
Unforeseen events that may increase or decrease production time could affect the original projected start and/or finish time of the build.
Cost: The cost of the Corvette Buyer’s Plant Tour experience is $800.00 and is payable on-line upon registration below. You must have an order number from your dealer before you can sign up for this tour.
What to Expect: After you have registered and paid the $800.00 fee, the NCM will monitor your car’s order number status.
Depending on when you sign up for this program, we’ll try to give approximately 10 days notice prior to your car’s build date. You will be contacted by a representative of the Museum to provide you with the estimated build date. At this time you can make travel arrangements. It is recommended that you purchase refundable airline tickets if you intend to fly, as the scheduled date may change due to unforeseen events that may increase or decrease production line rates.
Day of the Tour: You will be scheduled for a tour date and time. Please note that the plant operates from 6:12am Central Time to 4:42pm Central Time. You may need to arrive the day prior to your tour if you are scheduled for an early morning tour. Production schedule Monday through Friday, production days and hours may vary. The Regular plant hours are 6:12am to 4:42pm.
The NCM representative will contact you if there are any changes to your scheduled date or time. It is very important that we are provided with a cell phone number in order to reach you on short notice or after your arrival to Bowling Green.
No Guarantee: It is the desire of the Museum and the Assembly Plant that your tour experience enables you to see your new Corvette during your visit, but we cannot guarantee this as part of the program. The National Corvette Museum and the Bowling Green Assembly Plant will not be responsible for any costs you incur for this tour whether you see your car or not. You will not be entitled to a refund if you do not see your car, but we do promise that you will receive a memorable tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant.
What to Wear/What to Bring: Closed toe shoes (no sandals) are a requirement for all visitors. No cameras, backpacks, purses, fanny packs, cell phones or other packages or containers may be brought into the plant except by special request (for medical reasons, etc.). All rules must be adhered to or tour will be terminated with no refund.
Age Restrictions: Children must be ten years of age or older.
Guests: You may bring 1 additional guest at no charge. A maximum of 2 people may go on the Corvette Buyer’s Tour.
Advanced Registration: At least a 10 day advanced registration is required before the car starts being built.
R8C Museum Delivery Program: The Corvette Buyer’s Tour Program is NOT part of the R8C Museum Delivery Program. Museum Delivery Option R8C is totally separate and ordered through your Corvette Dealer at the time the order for your new Corvette is placed. If you purchased Museum Delivery Option R8C, you may also participate in the Corvette Buyers Tour by signing up through the link below. The additional fee required to participate in the Buyers Tour is $800.00 – this fee is in addition to the Museum Delivery Program fee. Please note that to participate in both programs will require two different trips to Bowling Green.
Corvette Photo Album: The Corvette Photo Album Program is NOT part of the R8C Delivery Program or the Corvette Buyers’ Tour Program, however – we do offer a discount if both the Buyers’ Tour and Photo Album are purchased jointly.
For additional questions regarding the “Buyers Tour” contact Museum Delivery Program Manager – Shane Webb at: shane@corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 205-4248 / (270) 777-4505. Lori Bieschke is also available to assist. She can be reached at lori@corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 205-4248 / (270) 467-8851.
Originally Posted by fleming23
Looks like you checked nearly every box
Should be a great experience! While I only did a museum delivery, I look forward to the day I get to, hopefully do it again!
I did check a few! My salesman found they couldn't fit all my RPOs on the Retail Vehicle Order Sheet. They actually combined the engine build / buyers tour into one line item and they are going to invoice me separately for the Performance Aero Package because they couldn't find a way to fit it in. They did give me a very nice discount!
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 03-08-2017 at 09:44 PM.
Reason: Merged Posts
Wow, awesome. I thought the engines where built in the Tonawanda engine plant. I am doing the buyers tour as well. Waiting on the phone call any day now.
Have a great time, post the details! Z07 Z06s are hand built by a team, PBC optioned Z06s are hand built by owners, all others are built in Tonawanda NY!
OP, PM me if you would like to discuss. I built my LT4 Oct 27, 2016 for my 2017 Z06. Glad to share my experience with you. All I can say it was amazing and only GM can offer this kind of thing. I bought the Z06 because of this option.
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 03-08-2017 at 09:45 PM.
Wow, awesome. I thought the engines where built in the Tonawanda engine plant. I am doing the buyers tour as well. Waiting on the phone call any day now.
Originally Posted by mjdart
Have a great time, post the details! Z07 Z06s are hand built by a team, PBC optioned Z06s are hand built by owners, all others are built in Tonawanda NY!
Not anymore, they're all built in Bowling Green.
This changed about 9 months ago
Have a great time, post the details! Z07 Z06s are hand built by a team, PBC optioned Z06s are hand built by owners, all others are built in Tonawanda NY!
MJ, you are so enthusiastic, I hate to correct your comments...but I must! You are out of date on the location of engine assembly on the Z06 engine (and, buy the way, there is no such thing as a Z06Z07 engine or a Z07Z06 engine. The car is a Corvette Z06, as opposed to a Corvette Stingray. The Z07 option box you checked is a suspension and aero package option that's available for people who intend on Tracking their car...it's OK for the street (a little rougher), but intended for tracking. The engines on ALL Z06's are same-same...and for some time now, all of them have been built in Bowling Green. Tonawanda doesn't enter into the picture on Z06, LT-4 engines, anymore and hasn't for the last year. Your gonna love the car!
Did the engine build and buyers tour as well. What a great experience!. Engine build was on a Monday and car build started on a Wednesday and finished Thursday. Count on a day between Engine build and start of car build.
There is a special sticker that is placed on the door frame signifying the buyers tour similar to the sticker for the museum delivery option.
Yes. ALL Z06 engines are built at the PBC in Bowling Green now.
Last edited by breakskeet; 03-08-2017 at 09:45 PM.
MJ, you are so enthusiastic, I hate to correct your comments...but I must! You are out of date on the location of engine assembly on the Z06 engine (and, buy the way, there is no such thing as a Z06Z07 engine or a Z07Z06 engine. The car is a Corvette Z06, as opposed to a Corvette Stingray. The Z07 option box you checked is a suspension and aero package option that's available for people who intend on Tracking their car...it's OK for the street (a little rougher), but intended for tracking. The engines on ALL Z06's are same-same...and for some time now, all of them have been built in Bowling Green. Tonawanda doesn't enter into the picture on Z06, LT-4 engines, anymore and hasn't for the last year. Your gonna love the car!
One small addition, Z07 package is not only a suspension and aero package (winglets and wicker bill), it also includes ceramic brakes and cup 2 tire package.
Well, I put the wheels in motion ordering a new 2017 Z06 3LZ. To make this thread a bit more interesting I will be going to Bowling Green to build my LT4 Supercharged Engine as part of RPO (option) PBC, I will also take part in the Corvette Buyers Tour RPO PD5, where I see my engine installed in the chassis and then follow my Stingray through the rest of the assembly process. Both options have hundreds of photos taken and documented in books.
I was a previous GM employee many years ago from the mid 70's to the mid 80's at the Rochester Products Division. I still have my GM Employee Badge and my UAW Skilled Trades Badge which I will wear at the plant (hoping to get employees to open up so I see and hear some insider info I normally wouldn't) during engine build and tour.
I haven't ordered a new car in many-many years. The last being a 1980 Corvette Stingray with the L-82 engine. I ordered on 11/22/79 and the car wasn't built and delivered until May 5, 1980. They built so few of the L82 engines that the engine factory in Tonawanda waited to run a large number at once. I know that won't happen to me this time as the factory is shutting down 6/2/17 for major changes.
I will try to keep this thread informative and interesting as I go through the process! I will show my build below, feel free to make comments, pose questions or whatever. The dealer will also be installing the Performance Aero Kit when it arrives from the factory, you'll see I ordered several components of the Z07 Package, but I didn't want all of the Z07, so this worked out well having that option.
RPO Description
1YZ07 Corvette Z06 Coupe
3LZ Z06 Preferred Equipment Group
G1E Long Beach Red Tintcoat
PCX Z06 Appearance Package
SM8 Custom Floor Lid Z06 Embroidered Logo
PBC Customer Engine Build Experience
PD5 Buyers Tour W/Engine Build Experience
5W8 Carbon Flash Ground Effects Package
J57 Ceramic Brake Rotors w/o Z07
J6D Painted Dark Gray Brake Calipers
EYK Chrome Badge Package
FAY Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
AE4 Competition Sport Seats - Kalahari Leather
M5U 8-Speed Paddle Shift Automatic
Q6B Z06 Chrome Aluminum Wheels
VRS Cargo Shade Genuine Accessory
ER1 Battery Protection Package
R8E Gas Guzzler Tax
The Performance Aero Package lists at $595 installed.
MJDart, please confirm I am not crazy, from the future, can see the future, or live in an alternate time lapse universe which might explain why my Z06 order feels like it is taking forever
Please confirm, you made this exact post a month or so ago? While reading the first few lines, I said to myself, "oh this is the guy that used to work for a GM and said it would be interesting to tell the employees he is a former employee"
One small addition, Z07 package is not only a suspension and aero package (winglets and wicker bill), it also includes ceramic brakes and cup 2 tire package.
...you are absolutely correct. It's truly designed to be a Tracking car that can be driven on the street.
I have now found out addition information on the Z06 LT4 engine assembly process. for the 2016 Z06 Models, the engines were assembled in Tonawanda except for the orders that specified the Z07 package which were assembled by engine builders in Bowling Green. The only other exception were the LT4 engines built as part on the Engine Build Option which are built by the owners of the Z06.
2017 All LT4 engines are assembled in Bowling Green by engine builders or the owners that selected the engine build option.
MJDart, please confirm I am not crazy, from the future, can see the future, or live in an alternate time lapse universe which might explain why my Z06 order feels like it is taking forever
Please confirm, you made this exact post a month or so ago? While reading the first few lines, I said to myself, "oh this is the guy that used to work for a GM and said it would be interesting to tell the employees he is a former employee"
Now I'm lost in space, I've been working on my order for a while (months) but I finally submitted it to my salesman on March 6th and wired the dealer the down payment on March 7th. I am a former employee that will collect a pension in a couple of years and I will strike up conversations based on my "Alumni" status, I even dug out my emplyee ID badges to bring with me.
I have now found out addition information on the Z06 LT4 engine assembly process. for the 2016 Z06 Models, the engines were assembled in Tonawanda except for the orders that specified the Z07 package which were assembled by engine builders in Bowling Green. The only other exception were the LT4 engines built as part on the Engine Build Option which are built by the owners of the Z06.
2017 All LT4 engines are assembled in Bowling Green by engine builders or the owners that selected the engine build option.
You said you found out....where did you get your info? GM says, and was acknowledged by one of B/G's engine builders that all the Z06 engine builds were moved to B/G in the Feb-March 2016 time frame. Not that where these engines are built means anything special, the build process in both locations has been essentially the same. You're not the first owner to believe the Z07 track option gets a different engine...if it's a Z06, all of the engines, regardless of options, has the same spec engine and the quality from either location is identical.
Good - Order# VDXH2T placed and at Event Code 1100 3/10/17
Bad - SM8 Custom Floor Lid Z06 Embroidered Logo not available with 3LZ Package
Explanation: 3LZ has real leather floor lid cover 1LZ & 2LZ do not, so embroidered Z06 logo on leather is not an option so I'm getting a $295 credit.
On the engine thing with the LT4, it's now, not as automated (robotics & such) now they're all esentially assembled by humans with the exception of processes where robots are more skilled such RTV on the oil pan. "I know all Z06 LT4 engines are identical", I believe (from what I have read) Chevrolet felt that many of the the Z07 optioned Z06 Stingrays had a much greater potential to be "tracked", so the factory wanted them hand assembled at Bowling Green, so that extra QC from humans was decided as the best way to help ensure reliability, I'm amazed the humans can keep pace with the demand now that the engines are all basically hand assembled. The video below is the reference I made to Tonawanda building the LT4s earlier in the post.
Oh really? Just keep believing what you hear MJ and you'll be just what the story tellers are looking for. Oh yeah, much better for Tracking...enjoy hand building your new engine.
03-08-2017, 09:24 AM
Z06 ordered with Engine Build & Buyers Tour
