An Inside look at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant

[Glennm27]

This is a pretty good set of pictures of the Assembly Plant at Bowling Green. Normally pictures like these are not seen. Mostly for Union reasons.

This link will take you to a page of 35 pictures. If you click on the first shot in the upper left you can then see them in sequence.

Click ==============> GM's Bowling Green Assembly Plant (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/tour-of-corvettes-bowling-green-assembly-plant/)

[jacques]

Thanks for sharing Glenn. Those are great shots.

[Silver O Six]

I could go through that plant 5 times and not get bored.

Great photos especially the paint and frame which you don't see often.

The birth of a Vette.....simply beautiful!!!!!;bt

Thanks Glenn

[JC,03,Z06]

Great pictures Glenn, did you take them? Thanks for sharing them.

[carboman]

Pretty cool! I like the shot of the cars coming down the line with the build sheets taped to the hood.

[Doug Bereczki]

Thanks for the link Glenn.

I remember when I visited about 5 yrs. ago. There were signs all over from the parking lot to the entrance stating that there were no pictures to be taken. Only to find out just before our tour was to start that if we had a camera the tour guide would let us know when we could take pictures! We were short of time that day and there wasn't enough time to run back to the car and get my camera before the tour started!:mad:
I still enjoyed the tour immensely.

These pictures complete the experience for me albeit 5 yrs. later. ;bt

[Glennm27]

Great pictures Glenn, did you take them? Thanks for sharing them.
No John, I did not take those pics. I does however look like they were taken by a somewhat hidden camera though. Did you notice the look on the faces of the workers in a couple of the shots?

One of the pictuires took me a while to figure out just what it was, then it hit me. There is a shot of an XLR truck lid. I couldn't figure out what part of a Corvette that was.

[Silver O Six]

XLR trunk lid That one stumped me

[Rick and Arleen Ball]

Pic #34 has the Cadillac just behind the Vette convt. Didn't know they were built on the same assembly line.
Why doesn't Chevrolet offer the same wheels the Caddy has on the Vette? They are nice rims.
OH!, by the way. NICE PICS Glenn.

[Jim Gordon]

cool pictures, thanks Glenn

[hcvone]

What kills me is all the pain staking work that you see going into painting, and then all the bad paints jobs that are on the street. It's like the GM truck painting in Texas is so poor compared to Michigan, it looks like it the paint was applied with a roller at one plant, and perfect from another.

[Glennm27]

What kills me is all the pain staking work that you see going into painting, and then all the bad paints jobs that are on the street. It's like the GM truck painting in Texas is so poor compared to Michigan, it looks like it the paint was applied with a roller at one plant, and perfect from another.

I think the orange peel is all from the speedy drying process that kind of "shrinks" the clear coat. If they just were not in such a hurry.

Rick, the XLR and the Corvettes actually are NOT on the same line. There is a very small area of the plant where the XLR's are assembled, but seperate from from the Vettes. The pic of the XLR and the Vette together stumps me a bit, probably and off the line QC area after assembly.

[novat_99]

Cool shots...thanks for posting them

[hcvone]

I think the orange peel is all from the speedy drying process that kind of "shrinks" the clear coat. If they just were not in such a hurry.

Rick, the XLR and the Corvettes actually are NOT on the same line. There is a very small area of the plant where the XLR's are assembled, but seperate from from the Vettes. The pic of the XLR and the Vette together stumps me a bit, probably and off the line QC area after assembly.
I would agree with that, but after being at the Caddy plant in Texas and the SRX plant in Michigan, and seeing the Texas plant put out very poor paint jobs when compared to the Michigan plant, I think there is more to it than the speed.

[carboman]

I would agree with that, but after being at the Caddy plant in Texas and the SRX plant in Michigan, and seeing the Texas plant put out very poor paint jobs when compared to the Michigan plant, I think there is more to it than the speed.

Must be the sub zero temps in MI. All I know is the paint job on my wifes new Accord is much nicer than anything I've see roll out of Bowling Green. What gets me is why the paint jobs on Corvettes are so inconsistent? I've detailed lots of C6 Vettes and the paint varies from terrible to pretty good. Even Vettes in the same color and built within weeks of each other vary quite a bit. One was so bad it looked like alligator skin from 20 feet away.

[Glennm27]

Mark
1) You better look at that Honda again, this time with glasses.

2) The 3LZ on Z06 and 4LT on coupes and Convertibles adds the "Alligator Hide" exterior. I guess you didn't know that.

[hcvone]

Mark
1) You better look at that Honda again, this time with glasses.

2) The 3LZ on Z06 and 4LT on coupes and Convertibles adds the "Alligator Hide" exterior. I guess you didn't know that.
I must have ordered that by mistake on my Escalades. :(

[carboman]

Mark
1) You better look at that Honda again, this time with glasses.

2) The 3LZ on Z06 and 4LT on coupes and Convertibles adds the "Alligator Hide" exterior. I guess you didn't know that.

Must be GM marketing effort. Turn an issue into a feature and charge for it.

[Joel Fellman]

Thanks for the pics, Glenn!!! I still get excited seeing frame markings. They remind me when I helped strip the '76 undercarriage and saw them still there beneath years of grit, etc. Plus above the catalytic converter when I removed the shielding to install the side pipes and on the fire wall before the ZZ4 got installed!! TOTALLY AMAZING!! Thanks again,
Joel

[carboman]

Thanks for the pics, Glenn!!! I still get excited seeing frame markings. They remind me when I helped strip the '76 undercarriage and saw them still there beneath years of grit, etc. Plus above the catalytic converter when I removed the shielding to install the side pipes and on the fire wall before the ZZ4 got installed!! TOTALLY AMAZING!! Thanks again,
Joel

Joel,

Excited by frame markings? And my wife thinks I'm bad. Why aren't you an NCRS judge? I guess that's more excitement than one person can handle :)

[Adam Wartell]

I was authorized to take pictures during the 50th Anniversary kickoff back in 2002 - back in the good 'ole C5 days. Here are the pictures I took:
http://www.c3vr.com/events/50th/group6.asp
http://www.c3vr.com/events/50th/group6a.asp
http://www.c3vr.com/events/50th/group6b.asp

[michael brigidi]

great pictures glenn, thanks for posting them. do you know when they were taken by any chance. michael