Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

[Ed S.]

So..... My wife & I toured the Corvette factory & National Museum last week ---- mind blowing. The factory tour is amazing, GM has this process down to a science. When you look at the infrastructure inside the plant (like 7 + miles of large conveyor lines as an example) it is amazing that they can sell Corvettes as inexpensive as they do. Seeing a C7 starting with a bare unfinished aluminum frame and ending at the point where they do the water leak test is an eye opener. One of my many observations was the workers on the line had no AIMs to refer to - not needed, this is an "assembly" plant, mostly they just assemble major sub-assemblies that are manufactured elsewhere. A question for the experts out there - when did they stop using AIMs on the assembly line? If you have not visited the plant - it is a bucket list must see. The National Museum is equally impressive. Worth the trip.

[Terry M.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

So..... My wife & I toured the Corvette factory & National Museum last week ---- mind blowing. The factory tour is amazing, GM has this process down to a science. When you look at the infrastructure inside the plant (like 7 + miles of large conveyor lines as an example) it is amazing that they can sell Corvettes as inexpensive as they do. Seeing a C7 starting with a bare unfinished aluminum frame and ending at the point where they do the water leak test is an eye opener. One of my many observations was the workers on the line had no AIMs to refer to - not needed, this is an "assembly" plant, mostly they just assemble major sub-assemblies that are manufactured elsewhere. A question for the experts out there - when did they stop using AIMs on the assembly line? If you have not visited the plant - it is a bucket list must see. The National Museum is equally impressive. Worth the trip.

With the advent of the C4s in 1983(4) AIMS went the way of the Dodo bird. They did have a manual called a Product (Something, something I forget.) for the C4s. Paper copies are uncommon as most of it was on the computers of the time.

Now product selection is computerized and bar codes & bar code scanners all but eliminate the human assembly guesswork. Many, perhaps most, assemblies arrive at the plant with sequence numbers already applied, so they are targeted for a specific automobile by suppliers even before they enter the plant. They are shipped in sequence number order so that they are on hand for the assembler at exactly the right time (in almost all cases). The assembly worker simply scans the bar code to assure themselves and the computer that the assembly is going into the designated car. The computer will alert the worker(s)to a non-designated assembly. Where fastener torque, and/or the number of fasteners used is critical those functions will also be computer controlled and monitored. Assembly of today's Corvette is a far cry from your father's or grand father's Corvette.

It is a remarkably fascinating operation. Even as frequent visitors it is difficult to appreciate the incredible complexity of the operation. I find it amazing that 50 and more years ago Corvettes and other cars were assembled without computers, not withstanding the less complex nature of the car back then.

[Ed S.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Another observation, it appeared that there were more Z06s and Grand Sports on the assembly line than base Corvettes. This was true in the Museum where "museum delivery" is an option that some buyers chose - cars waiting for pick up by owners at the Museum were staged in the museum lobby, Z06s out numbered base Corvettes 2 to 1. I wonder how many of these last of the front engine race cars are going to go into storage and land up on Barret Jackson in 3 or 4 years with only 12 miles or so on the odometer?

[Mark E.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

With the advent of the C4s in 1983(4) AIMS went the way of the Dodo bird. They did have a manual called a Product (Something, something I forget.) for the C4s. Paper copies are uncommon as most of it was on the computers of the time.

Now product selection is computerized and bar codes & bar code scanners all but eliminate the human assembly guesswork. Many, perhaps most, assemblies arrive at the plant with sequence numbers already applied, so they are targeted for a specific automobile by suppliers even before they enter the plant. They are shipped in sequence number order so that they are on hand for the assembler at exactly the right time (in almost all cases). The assembly worker simply scans the bar code to assure themselves and the computer that the assembly is going into the designated car. The computer will alert the worker(s)to a non-designated assembly. Where fastener torque, and/or the number of fasteners used is critical those functions will also be computer controlled and monitored. Assembly of today's Corvette is a far cry from your father's or grand father's Corvette.

It is a remarkably fascinating operation. Even as frequent visitors it is difficult to appreciate the incredible complexity of the operation. I find it amazing that 50 and more years ago Corvettes and other cars were assembled without computers, not withstanding the less complex nature of the car back then.

This is a good question. What Terry describes may confirm part selection and specify some basics like fasteners needed and torque, but what's used to show the method ("standard work") for installations? The best practice in many factories is visual work instructions which show the steps involved at the work center. This ensures the correct procedures are used and also acts as a training aid.

[Mark E.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Another observation, it appeared that there were more Z06s and Grand Sports on the assembly line than base Corvettes. This was true in the Museum where "museum delivery" is an option that some buyers chose - cars waiting for pick up by owners at the Museum were staged in the museum lobby, Z06s out numbered base Corvettes 2 to 1. I wonder how many of these last of the front engine race cars are going to go into storage and land up on Barret Jackson in 3 or 4 years with only 12 miles or so on the odometer?

If you were buying a new Corvette, wouldn't you spend just a bit more and get the GS?

Do you remember all the "special" Coevettes over the years which folks bought new and squirreled away as an "investment"? Pace cars, anniversary models, commerrative editions, ZR-1s, ... Today, you can find ultra-low mileage examples of these at used car prices.

With that said, I wish I bought a new Ford GT as an "investment". 🙂

[Michael J.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Did you see any owners doing the engine build experience on their Z06s? That's what I want to do again now that it has moved to BG and you can stay in one place to see the car built around your engine and be first to drive it off the line for museum delivery.

[John D.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

With the advent of the C4s in 1983(4) AIMS went the way of the Dodo bird. They did have a manual called a Product (Something, something I forget.) for the C4s. Paper copies are uncommon as most of it was on the computers of the time

Yep. Product Assembly Documents-commonly called PADs' in the plant are all maintained online

[Ed S.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Did you see any owners doing the engine build experience on their Z06s? That's what I want to do again now that it has moved to BG and you can stay in one place to see the car built around your engine and be first to drive it off the line for museum delivery.

We walked right by the enclosed area where Z06 engines are built with buyers - actually there was a stop along the tour route directly across from the Z06 engine build enclosure. There was a bit of activity in there, 2 or 3 persons that looked like employees in there and you could see several bare engine blocks on stands but not much engine building going on from what we could see.

[Terry M.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Yep. Product Assembly Documents-commonly called PADs' in the plant are all maintained online

That's it. Thank you John. I once had paper copies of some early C4 PADs, but they have gone to the NCRS Archives.

[Ed S.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

I spoke to a lady in the Archive office at the Museum. She said that she or someone else goes over to the plant every day to pick-up all the bar coded build sheets and other documents for each car built the previous day. They then scan the documents and electronically file them. They also file the original paper copies. She said that the documents that they retrieve from the factory are not needed by GM and would otherwise be destroyed.

[Michael F.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

and then they sell them for profit

[Mark E.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

and then they sell them for profit

I wish someone did this during the St. Louis era.

[Ed S.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

I wish someone did this during the St. Louis era.

I asked the attendant at the desk in the Archive office if they had any records for 1964 (I have a '64). She told me that all those records were lost in a fire - I don't know where the fire was or when, or what year's records were destroyed. I have a document that specifies the build date - based on the VIN, but that is all that is available for a '64.

Regarding the previous comment, "they sell them for a profit". I am not familiar with the financials of the museum but I do know it is a non-profit organization. I suspect revenue from document sales are used to fund the operation including salaries, insurance, etc etc.

[Michael J.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Ed, you didn't order the NCRS Shipping Report for your car? That has build date and dealer it was delivered to.

[Ed S.]

Re: Corvette Factory and Museum tour - Bowling Green

Ed, you didn't order the NCRS Shipping Report for your car? That has build date and dealer it was delivered to.

Michael, I did purchase a document through the NCRS Historical Document Service several years ago that specified the build date and the ship to dealer code. When I spoke to the rep in the Archive office at the museum I told her I had that and asked if by chance does the museum have any additional info on '64s. That is when she told me that all those files were lost to a fire at a GM facility some years ago.