Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line as Retooling Begins

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Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line as Retooling Begins


The final 2018 Corvette to be built on what we will now refer to as the Corvette factory’s “old assembly line” was completed on Thursday afternoon. It was a 2018 Non-Z51 Corvette Stingray Coupe in Torch Red.

The dismantling of the assembly line began almost immediately after the Stingray was driven off the line.

Our understanding is that there will be some official photos to mark the occasion.

Much of the existing assembly line process dates back to 1997 and the fifth generation Corvette, although some components go back to the founding of the former Chrysler air conditioning plant when it started building Corvettes in the early 1980s.

Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant


Over the next thirteen weeks, the old line will be dismantled and a new assembly line process utilizing flexible assembly methods will be put into place. For a really good primer on the changes coming to the Corvette assembly plant, watch our video of BGAP’s general manager Kai Spande at the 2017 NCM Bash.

The assembly line will be rerouted to move the exterior panel assembly areas closer to the new paint shop, as well as moving the panel assembly towards the end of the line so as to lessen the potential for damage and increase build quality. Another aspect of the new assembly line once it restarts will be to slow it down, from 18 cars per hour to 12 cars so the workers will have a little more time per car to ensure quality.

A friend tells us that most plant employees will return to work around October 9th where they will begin training, however, new 2018 Corvettes will not start production until the end of October or first week in November.

We are also reminded that of the quality assurance (QA) process that the new Stingrays went through back in 2013 and we believe that once the plant starts production, there will be a series of extensive quality tests on the 2018 Corvettes that come off the new assembly line. That could mean the first 2018 Corvettes off the new line won’t begin showing up to dealers until the end of November or early December.

Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant


The assembly line upgrades, along with the start-up and integration of the new paint facility, mark the beginning of some exciting times for Corvette owners. While much speculation revolves around the future of the Corvette, know that once the plant restarts later, the changes should further unlock the potential of the men and women who build our dream cars and the focus on quality will impact today’s Corvette almost immediately.


Related:
[VIDEO] Corvette Assembly Plant Update with Kai Spande from the 2017 NCM Bash
Corvette Panel Maker MFG Will Undergo Temporary Shut-Down as Corvette Plant Retools
The Corvette Assembly Plant’s Three Month Shutdown to Begin July 28th

 



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19 COMMENTS

  1. […] Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line as Retooling Begins – Corvette: Sales, News & Lif… Hidden Content What is JAGAMAJAJARAN? The consonants are the first letters of my immediate family members' names, starting with myself, then my wife, then our five kids. The "A"s are "And." Current Corvettes: C7 2017 Grand Sport Coupe, C4 1991 Bright Red ZR-1, C1 1962 Roman Red Roadster Previous Corvettes: C7 2015 Night Race Blue Coupe, C7 2014 Velocity Yellow Coupe, C6 2013 Night Race Blue GS Vert, C6 2012 Blade Silver Coupe, C5 2004 Lemans Blue Vert, C5 2003 Black Z06, C5 1999 Navy Blue Metallic Vert, C5 1999 Magnetic Red-II, C5 1998 Light Pewter Metallic Coupe, C4 1994 Competition Yellow Vert, C4 1989 Charcoal Metallic Vert, C3 1980 Silver Coupe, C3 1973 Dark Blue Metallic Coupe, C2 1964 Daytona Blue Metallic Coupe Register To Reply […]

  2. I will be interested to see if the new paint plant will actually eliminate or greatly reduce orange peel. Only time will tell.

  3. The last 2017 Corvette was completed in early June. From June 5th through June 27, the plant has been building 2018 Corvettes. They will rip out the old assembly line and install a new one in the next three months. Then, 2018 Corvette production will restart on the new line:

    The final 2018 Corvette to be built on what we will now refer to as the Corvette factory’s “old assembly line” was completed on Thursday afternoon. It was a 2018 Non-Z51 Corvette Stingray Coupe in Torch Red.

  4. I hope when they open the new plant they at least have some type of dress code. You look at the employees at the Corvette plant and it looks like guys in short pants that they took off the street corner. Look at other high-end quality sports car auto makers. Quality comes with all aspects of the employees and company..

  5. Saw 5 2018 corvettes already on the local dealership lot!!! LT 2 packages sticker….$69K

  6. unfortunately its not the last corvette being made the only thing worse than a mustang guy is a corvette guy

  7. Waiting for the 650hp 2.0 Turbo Corvette that was promised to happen by Chevy’s big chief back in 2008. Supposedly to be the best handling vette ever.

  8. Can’t wait to see the coming changes with the plant re opening. I’m really hoping they drop the ZR1 as an 18 model or a new engine choice.

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