Kyflyer

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/02/...ng-this-april/

lordofwar

april is always end of model year ordering.but thay will probally get a longer model change over shutdown due to high inventory.especally if big changes are coming.

BMadden

What I found interesting was that the plant isn't re-opening until sometime in the 4th Qtr. so October or later. That means it will be shut down for at least 4 months.

lordofwar

^^^ If true very unusual,unless big retool.

firstgear

^^^ Perhaps big enough to build mid engine along with new ZR1?

b4i4getit

Maybe they are shutting down longer because there is a lot of unsold inventory out there and they predict there won't be enough orders. It could be as simple as that.

Kyflyer

It is fun to speculate though! (-:

lordofwar

yes,and how many 100k cars do you think chevy can sell.

BMadden

I think it's a combination of retooling for the 2018 models plus the fact that dealers have been sitting on a lot of inventory for the past year and a half. When you see the kind of discounts that were out there on the 2016s at the end of last year(I saw a $110k Z06 advertised right here on the forum for $86k) it's clear that demand has cooled considerably so they've decided not to produce as many 2017 cars. Makes sense when you think about it, but still kinda strange that the plant will be shut down for 4 months minimum and possibly longer. Also, it means 2018 models won't be hitting showroom floors until the dead of winter which is less than ideal for a Corvette.

JoesC5

^^^ Maybe they are just rearranging the assembly line in the old plant to slow it down from ~3 seconds indexing to around 5 seconds indexing, to match the reduced demand for the C7 in 2018. Rearranging the assembly line to better balance the work load at each work station would make it more efficient than just slowing the line down.

If I remember correctly, they did that with the assembly line when the economy went sour and they had to slow down production on the C6.

A new product being built in the new plant expansion would help keep overall production up at Bowling Green, even with the lower production of the C7.

Paulchristian

Maybe they'll use that 4 months down-time to figure out a way to put proper seats in the next corvette.

BMadden

The seats in my C7 are just fine. I think that complaint was perfectly valid in previous generations, but I don't see it now.

2019 ZR1

I thought it was something with the new paint..

OVR60

There are many areas that need attention not only seats.

MikeyTX

Gee, compared to past generations, the C7 seats are great imho. At least my back isn't killing me on long trips.

SUB VETTE

I think the shutdown is also to coordinate with getting the new paint plant on line, which I think is supposed to be used for 2018 models.

Paulchristian

Yes, they are comfortable but I am talking about the quality and look of the material. The seat foam/padding (whatever its called), while comfortable, is of poor quality. Bolsters sag and stretch. Additionally, the quality of the leather is terrible. Cracks and creases appear after just light use.

Mustangs (optional Recaros), Camaros (optional Recaros), GTIs, etc all have better quality material in their seats. That should not be the case. Current corvette seats are still not up to the quality standards that you should see in a $60k + car. And considering most new ZO6 corvettes go out the door for between $80k - $90k, it is even worse embarrassing.

GTI Seats


Mustang Seats:


Camaro Seats:


Corvette Seats:


Unacceptable for a car that costs $90k+ wouldn't you say? For $90k, they should look more like:

MikeyTX

Then my suggestion to you is buy the covers shown in your last picture and have them installed. Quite frankly, I don't want the added expense. I have Recaro seats in my CTS-V. They are quite luxurious. However, they are a real pita to get into or out of. Even with the bolsters deflated.

Steve Garrett

It's time to upgrade the Corvette build line, which is currently the C5 build line.

OBSSSD

New paint line is going in, so yes big change.