End of an Era - Final Corvette Rolls Off the "Old" Assembly Line
07-27-2017, 06:48 PM
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End of an Era - Final Corvette Rolls Off the "Old" Assembly Line
The final Corvette to be built on the "old" assembly line rolled off the line this afternoon. It was a 2018 Torch Red Non-Z51 Stingray.
The old assembly dates back to the 5th Generation Corvette with some components even going back to the C4.
The dismantling of the old line began almost immediately as there is a lot to accomplish over the next 13 weeks. The old line will be dismantled, the new line will be installed, and then employees will have to be trained.
I believe most employees will return to the plant on October 9 for training, but new Corvettes will not start rolling off the new assembly line until the end of October/first of November.
It is also important to keep in mind that just as there is a quality hold on a new model year, there will likely be a pretty substantial quality hold on the cars coming off the new line. This will likely translate into the new line cars arriving at dealerships around the first of December.
Like many on this forum, I have so many awesome memories of various plant tours, both public and private, as well as three buyer's tours, and I can't wait to see the new assembly line some day!
Enjoy these photos representing the last two decades of Corvette production!
The old assembly dates back to the 5th Generation Corvette with some components even going back to the C4.
The dismantling of the old line began almost immediately as there is a lot to accomplish over the next 13 weeks. The old line will be dismantled, the new line will be installed, and then employees will have to be trained.
I believe most employees will return to the plant on October 9 for training, but new Corvettes will not start rolling off the new assembly line until the end of October/first of November.
It is also important to keep in mind that just as there is a quality hold on a new model year, there will likely be a pretty substantial quality hold on the cars coming off the new line. This will likely translate into the new line cars arriving at dealerships around the first of December.
Like many on this forum, I have so many awesome memories of various plant tours, both public and private, as well as three buyer's tours, and I can't wait to see the new assembly line some day!
Enjoy these photos representing the last two decades of Corvette production!
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07-27-2017, 07:07 PM
#2
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If the JSB vert in that first pic had a black top I could have kept the pic and just kept telling myself it was my C6!
Thanks for sharing the memories!
Thanks for sharing the memories!
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07-27-2017, 07:28 PM
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"In honor of jpee"
Nice pics; thanks for sharing. And soon we'll find out what will roll out of the entire complex/building. 
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07-27-2017, 07:36 PM
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Thanks for the info and pics - much appreciated!
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07-27-2017, 07:43 PM
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Pretty cool! Thanks for the info
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07-27-2017, 08:34 PM
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I'm anxious to see the new improved line.
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 07-27-2017 at 08:35 PM.
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07-27-2017, 08:40 PM
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07-27-2017, 10:30 PM
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Cool pics and memories.
Thanks Jeremy.
Thanks Jeremy.
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07-27-2017, 11:21 PM
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07-27-2017, 11:26 PM
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Can't wait to see the new real 2018 models from the new paint facility. Thanks for posting I really hope the pain quality improves tenfold might even cause me to trade up LOL
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jagamajajaran (07-28-2017)
07-27-2017, 11:39 PM
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LOL . . . you can hope, but don't hold your breath. 10x, no, unless they suddenly decide to hand-sand and polish both base and clear coats, as well as those wavy SMC body panels .
Last edited by Foosh; 07-27-2017 at 11:42 PM.
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07-27-2017, 11:48 PM
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Good job Jag, Thanks.
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07-28-2017, 01:17 AM
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St. Jude Donor '15
Awesome, fun times ahead!
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07-28-2017, 01:42 AM
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Looking forward to the evolution of the Corvette brand. First time I took a plant tour was 2000. Didn't end up owning a Corvette finally, until 10 yrs later. I'm on #7 now. Look forward to the bash in April for sure, so I can check this baby out.
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07-28-2017, 05:07 AM
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Great pictures of the assembly line Thanks.
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jagamajajaran (07-28-2017)
07-28-2017, 06:18 AM
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When the new plant starts up again, we've heard that the production will be at about half speed for a while. Is that going to continue for the rest of the 2018 production or just for the first few weeks? Should I be worried if I order a 2018 in January that I might not get the car until June or July because of this? (or even worse, should I be worried that I might not even get a 2018 and might have my order bumped to being a 2019 and having to wait even longer, much like what happened with a lot of the 2014 orders getting delayed and bumped to 2015 production instead?)
Last edited by Patman; 07-28-2017 at 06:20 AM.
