So I expect to be back east from California sometime in October, does anyone know if the factory will be offering tours to non buyers at this point?

 

Actually, there are not holds on all production. Under normal circumstances, cars are eligible to be shipped as soon as they clear final quality. This can be the day after they are built if all the stars align just right. If the car passes final quality quickly, the transportation company is ready to receive it and they happen to have a truck ready to go for that geographic region it can be gone the next day.

Museum delivery cars are an exception and are subject to a mandatory two week quality hold from the time the car clears production. This is simply due to the unusual delivery circumstances of the R8C where it is typically the owners only means of transportation home.

When a car is built and cleared, it is released to the transportation company. They hold it in the lot until they fill a carrier headed to a particular geographic region at which time they send the truck. They have the agreement that they can take up to 10 days to complete this task at which time they must ship the car whether or not they have a full truck. This gives the plant control over vehicle and if an issue is discovered they have the time on the lot, and the captive nature of the transportation period and dealer receipt to remedy it and have the dealer make the repairs if necessary. With an R8C and since the car will likely be leaving that day for parts unknown, they sit on the car until they have reasonable belief that there are no latent defects that could affect the operation of that vehicle. With the plant operating on a JIT basis, this are very dynamic with the turnover of parts and supplies to the line.

However, since this is a model changeover, these are not normal circumstances. We should expect a lengthy hold on all vehicles of the initial production. They will build cars and hold them at the plant until they are satisfied that everything is as it should be. This will be for an as yet determined amount of time. Folks need to plan for this in their schedule of when they think they are going to be getting their cars.

 

I don't know the date for resumption of public tours but if I were a betting man, I wouldn't plan on it in October.

 

Plant Tours start September 30, 2013 The museum announced it last week.

 

I believe that is for the Buyer's Tour only, not regular public tours, but I could be wrong!

Dave

 

Resumption of tours for the buyer's tours and associated photo albums have been announced and are restarting on September 30th. A date for the resumption of public tours (tours not scheduled with the NCM) and not associated with the production of a specific Corvette are still to be determined and a date has not even been so much as suggested publicly.