Short version for you attention challenged people. (If you want the longer version, look below.
The people at the BG plant are awesome and their poster child is Kevin T.
Here are a couple of pics I wanted to share.
Here is my baby about 40 feet from where I drove it off the assembly line. It's the final inspection area. That's why the lighting is so good.
Here is a shot near the beginning of the process.
Here's the long version.
Watching the birth of my 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06!
I arrived in Bowling Green about 5pm on Thursday September 29th. I stayed at the Country Hearth hotel directly across from the NCM. The weather was 68, sunny and gorgeous. I wasn’t in the room for more than 5 minutes and had to go over to the plant to see what was sitting outside the walls of that magnificent place. I think it is better than Willie Wonka’s Chocolate factory. Haha The only car sitting outside was, you guessed it, a BEAUTIFUL BLACK Z06. I was so excited and was very happy at that point with my color choice. I just sat there in my car all glassy eyed. I clicked off a couple of pictures and headed on my way.
Friday morning, after a restless night and very little sleep due to the excitement, I get up and call Kevin Terrence at the plant. I had agreed to allow another member to tour with me. He is Richard and goes by ZL1 on the Z06vette.com board. Btw, he’s a really nice guy and has the honor of having a VIN that ends in “427”. Now, that is a good sign for sure. Well, I meet Kevin and Richard at the plant about 9am. The first stop in the plant was at my car; it was only a body then. We jumped back and forth between Richards and my cars. Richards was about 40 cars ahead of mine. His car is VY.
Let me tell you about the employees at this facility. If you make eye contact with any of them, they smile and wave at you. Many come over, if time allows, and introduce themselves to you and shake your hand. This is a fine group of people. Just like last year when I toured the plant and watched them build my 05 coupe, they really know what hospitality means. Many go out of their way to make you feel appreciated, Kevin being the poster child.
I can’t even begin to explain the feeling I had while watching this wonderful machine come together before my very eyes. All along the way the assemblers would hand me little bits of memorabilia from the assembly line, ie. Parts bar codes, build papers, etc. Watching them install the unique Z06 parts was just amazing. I have pictures of the dry sump being installed, the chassis being mated to the body, etc. Well, it came down to a time crunch and Kevin and I were worried that I may not see my car come off the line. It just so happened, mine was the LAST car to come off the line that day. I got the honor or starting my car and driving it off the line. For those of you who do not know, that is the first time the tires ever roll. I was given a special certificate pertaining to the birth of my car. I don’t think I’ve smiled so much in a long long time.
Here is the fun part. As I said before, my car was the last off the line. I drove it off the line and over to the alignment booth. Since the shift is over at promptly 4:42pm and the buzzer had already sounded, Kevin and I headed off to the exit. Well, we are about 40 yards away and here a lady yelling at us. She’s the operator at the alignment machine. We go back as she greets me and hands me something from my car. I'm not at liberty to tell you what it is. Let's just say I greatly appreciated her extra effort. So, I thank her and we turn and head off to the exit again. This time we are about 70 yards away and hear another scream. We look back and there is the first lady and another standing there yelling at us. We go back again to hear them say “We are going to go ahead and run your car on the rollers for you”. OMG, I can’t believe how nice and gracious these people were to me.
What an awesome day. What a wonderful group of people who all come together as a team to make these wonderful cars for us to enjoy.
God Bless them all.
Btw, mysteriously, there is a signature inside the driver’s door panel that was made with a sharpie. It reads “Performin’ Norman 9/30/05” I wonder how it got there. Hee hee
You make it hard not to get one! 
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