Plant reconfiguration for C8??????
11-08-2018, 12:50 PM
#21
Melting Slicks
Using the Google Earth Ruler Line Measurement function the Concrete foundation is 460 feet wide by 1,000 feet long for a total square footage of 460,000 square feet per level. The photo of the foundation clearly shows the approximately 30 foot high foundation wall allowing 2 tall lower levels for a total of 4 levels. There is an additional 2 levels at 342,380 square feet per level at the rest of the new addition.
Last edited by skank; 11-08-2018 at 01:00 PM.
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11-08-2018, 01:30 PM
#22
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The PBC continues to grow in its production scope and is claiming at least a part of the old paint shop area for its needs.
By the way, assembling the front end of the ZR1 is so much different than the Stingray/GS/Z06 that is has been likened to assembling an entirely different car on the same line. It's not a far reaching idea that the new line has been configured so that more than one vehicle type can be assembled on it.
By the way, assembling the front end of the ZR1 is so much different than the Stingray/GS/Z06 that is has been likened to assembling an entirely different car on the same line. It's not a far reaching idea that the new line has been configured so that more than one vehicle type can be assembled on it.
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 11-13-2018 at 10:13 PM. Reason: Merged Posts
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11-08-2018, 08:00 PM
#23
Le Mans Master
They expanded the plant to build an ME and an SUV Corvette. That’s how u get the unit #s. U want an FE Vette? Plenty left on the lot not to mention the used market.
Last edited by Dominic Sorresso; 11-08-2018 at 08:01 PM.
11-08-2018, 09:04 PM
#24
Team Owner
11-08-2018, 09:47 PM
#27
Racer
11-08-2018, 10:05 PM
#29
Team Owner
If GM is seriously looking at a SUV with a Corvette emblem, it will be built at a factory where they build other SUV's, like they presently do with their Chevy SUV's, their GMC SUV's, their Buick SUV's and their Cadillac SUV's; not in Bowling Green. That's what I was laughing at.
Last edited by JoesC5; 11-08-2018 at 10:16 PM.
11-08-2018, 10:11 PM
#30
Team Owner
11-08-2018, 10:47 PM
#31
Melting Slicks
Back to the OP's task at hand. A massive triple expansion of the plant allows all sorts of options. Knowing that the C7 FE(Y1XX) will morph into the C8 FE(Y2XX) and the C8 ME(ZERV) is next in line to be exposed it will be fun to watch and observe.
11-08-2018, 10:56 PM
#32
Yes Harvey, I also believe they will build both ME and FE Corvettes. They didn't triple the Bowling Green Plant size to build just one car configuration. Yesterday I got on Google Earth and calculated the square footage of the original roof (942,160 sq. ft) and the new buildings roof (802,380 sq. ft.) using the Google Earth Ruler Line Measure function. It is reasonably accurate. The Bowling Green Corvette Plant information page has always indicated that the square footage of the old plant as 950,000 sq. ft. That aligns very closely with the 942,160 sq. ft. above since there are a few elevated second story office areas in the old building to make up the other 8,000 sq. ft. Gallagher-Kaiser Construction Co. of Troy, Michigan was the General Contractor on the new addition of the Plant. They have indicated a 897,000 sq. ft. on their website(see link below). Check out the photo spread of the new plant interior on the link below. Clearly they have not indicated the subterranean lower levels under the main area of the new addition or also the second level of the above grade line structure. There are 2 upper levels clearly shown on the photos during construction(see photos from Corvette Blogger article below). The lower sub grade level appears to be at least 30 feet deep. I did talk to Kai Spande at the Laguna Seca IMSA race a few months ago and he validated that there were up to 4 levels in the new building but 3 levels in some of it. Using my estimates from the roof calculations it seems plausible that the new addition realistically is at least 2 million sq ft of all 4 levels combined and not the 897,000 that is indicated on their stats. That in effect is a tripling of the square footage of the entire plant. I'll bet that GM didn't want to draw attention to the actual real square footage to the public especially us Corvette geeks. I've talked to Gallagher Kaiser as well as another sub-contractor on the job named Walbridge Construction Co. The Walbridge person I talked to indicated 4 levels as well. He even mentioned the new hill that was created by the excess soil from the lower level excavation of the new building. Sure enough, while viewing Google Earth you can see there is a new huge 50-60 foot high mound of soil that shows near the plant.
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2017...ssembly-plant/
http://www.gkcorp.com/project-portfo...te-paint-shop/
http://www.walbridge.com/market/automotive/
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2017...ssembly-plant/
http://www.gkcorp.com/project-portfo...te-paint-shop/
http://www.walbridge.com/market/automotive/
just proves GM can build 2-3 different cars there,,
they wouldn't have invested that kind of money and time to build just 1 car
GM is about making money,from bread and butter cars and trucks,so to build a $150,000+ halo car wouldn't cut it
a FE car built thru 2020-2024,covers them so they can ramp up ME production
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11-08-2018, 10:57 PM
#33
Team Owner
If I'm not mistaken, Ferrari has one plant to build front and mid engine cars, so does Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi, so why can't GM?
Last edited by themonk; 11-08-2018 at 10:57 PM.
11-08-2018, 11:37 PM
#34
Le Mans Master
If GM is seriously looking at a SUV with a Corvette emblem, it will be built at a factory where they build other SUV's, like they presently do with their Chevy SUV's, their GMC SUV's, their Buick SUV's and their Cadillac SUV's; not in Bowling Green. That's what I was laughing at.
11-09-2018, 09:04 AM
#35
Le Mans Master
Originally Posted by TnRZ06
Maybe they are going to drop a Cadillac ME bomb on us and have two vehicles built there.
11-12-2018, 11:24 PM
#36
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”lineage”?
get real
11-13-2018, 12:23 AM
#37
Team Owner
Where is the C7 chassis welded?
That'll tell you more than anything else.
If the front/rear space frame is welded at the plant versus being delivered whole is a huge difference.
The Halo cars, Corvette, Viper, and especially Prowler were not only built as show cases but they also are places that manufacturers test new processes in manufacturing.
That'll tell you more than anything else.
If the front/rear space frame is welded at the plant versus being delivered whole is a huge difference.
The Halo cars, Corvette, Viper, and especially Prowler were not only built as show cases but they also are places that manufacturers test new processes in manufacturing.
Last edited by NoOne; 11-13-2018 at 12:27 AM.
11-13-2018, 12:39 AM
#38
Le Mans Master
How does ur comment make any sense, seriously? U think Maserati is building their SUV at a truck plant? How about Jaguar? If u want it to be a Corvette, then u build at the Gdamn Corvette plant, otherwise its just a rebadged Tahoe.
11-13-2018, 07:24 AM
#39
Melting Slicks
GM doesn't need Corvette branded SUV's - what it needs are far better Cadillac products to compete in the luxury small (BMW X3) and large (BMW X5) mid-size SUV's - the XT5 just isn't that good of a vehicle compared to the competition.
11-13-2018, 08:27 AM
#40
Drifting
While the new paint shop is larger than the old paint shop, when the new paint shop went into production in the new building, the old paint shop booth and oven etc was removed freeing up floor space in to old 950,000 sq ft building. The state of Kentucky did not agree to give GM some tax abatements to build a bunch of storage space. In return for those tax abatements, GM agreed to add 270 workers to Bowling Green's workforce. You do not double the size of the plant just to "store" 270 people in a new storage space, with no work being performed by those new hires building cars.
The C8 assembly line may also need more hands since a $60K mid engine supercar is likely to break Corvette sales records.