Ordering a C7 Corvette? This Thread Will be Helpful

So many exciting issues before you order! Systematically working through this thread will help get your car as you want it, in a realistic time. It was written by forum Moderators to help you learn of critical issues you need to address BEFORE you order your car, and also very helpful for those who have already placed their order. Current forum Moderators to help you are "elegant" (John); "jsvette" (Jeff); and "Vigilance247" (Jeremy).

While this thread was written when the C7's first came out, it has just been updated. Those questions for which you do not find satisfactory answers here, please first use the forum's "search function," and then post your question (often in the "Purchasing" area) if it is still unanswered.

Things to evaluate before you walk into a dealership include:

A) Choosing Your Options, including: mechanical/performance; exterior and interior color, interior trim level; coupe or convertible top color, etc. Again, while this thread was first written for earlier model years, the 2019 Stingray, GrandSport and Z06 Corvette Order Guide has just been released and is here:

http://gmfleetorderguide.com/NASApp...egionID=1&divisionID=3&vehicleID=21442&type=0

Notes please:

The order guide pages open up to different sections and once you open upa section, immediately and every time look at the upper right of the page to insure you are continuing to build your chosen model; in not, just click on that box and select your model. Again, this will need to be done on every single different page.

For questions or clarification about an individual color or option, please use the "search function" in this forum, and/or for specific color assistance, visit/look for, as an example, "The Official ------ (color) Thread”:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/forum.php

Here is GM's "selection/decision matrix" to help you work through all of the major, necessary items to spec out your car.

Here, again as background, is a complete list of the 2019 “ordering guide,” with a complete list of alloptions:

https://www.gmfleetorderguide.com/N...egionID=1&divisionID=3&vehicleID=21442&type=0

The 2019 changes are very few, including no longer the Carbon 65 Special Edition, and the reinstatement of the Z06 Engine Build option.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/chevrolet/corvette/2019-chevrolet-corvette/

Congratulations, you now know exactly what options you want on your car.

B) Evaluation of "your chosen options" in relationship to "constraints":

Most of the time, you get your C7 exactly the way you wanted. However, at certain times, there are part "constraints." This occurs most often when a new "generation" of Corvettes is introduced, when a new model year has started, and/or when special "limited production" models or options are introduced. These constraints occur usually because GM is introducing something new and has underestimated "customer demand." Considering there are over 5,000 parts in a new corvette, over 95% of the time GM does this really well, but sometimes customer demand exceeds GM's estimates, causing customer frustration. Another reason for a constraint occurs when a "supplier part" is unexpectedly rejected by GM for quality reasons or supplier specific issues at that time. There is another reason for constraints, and that is that certain performance options are not as fuel efficient as GM needs for its "total Corvette sales." Finally, when a new model is introduced, GM adopts a "Quality Control" hold to ensure the news model has been properly constructed. This is occurring now, or will be occurring very shortly, and will last between two to four weeks.

Constrained parts are either not available, or in limited supply. Having selected your Corvette’s parts/options, please review the current list of constrained parts. They come and go, i.e., one week a part can surprisingly show up on the constraint list, and just as surprisingly, be removed. Sometimes constraints can last a month or two, and no one knows how long each constraint will be. The constraint list is usually updated each Thursday (when GM is accepting orders). Please read the very first post in this thread, then check that last few pages of the following thread to see the list of currently constrained parts:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/purchasing/67722-2019-order-status-constraints.html

C) Corvette "Allocation": "Your Friend" Or "Your Regret"

Allocation is a complicated system, whereby General Motors distributes to each Chevy dealership an amount of new Corvettes based on that dealership's previous model year sales of new Corvettes.

Here is how it works: Based on comparative basis of last year's new Corvette sales by all dealerships, GM rewards the dealer that sold the most new Corvettes last year with the highest allocation to receive/sell new Corvettes this year. This continues, to the next highest dealer, then the next one after that. To further complicate things, there are two distinct kinds of non-interchangeable allocations, either for a coupe OR for a convertible.

And, now, exciting, we have eight different Corvette models, including: StingRay coupe and convertible; StingRay Z-51 coupe and convertible; Grand Sport coupe and convertible; and, Z06 coupe and convertible, and recently the two new 2019 C7 Corvettes, a ZR1 coupe and a ZR1 convertible.

Please confirm with every dealer with whom you are considering ordering your StingRay, that that dealership has met GM specific Corvette training and "tool acquisition" requirements, AND that they have allocation to order you your StingRay. See section below, entitled ALLOCATION CONFIRMATION to help determine that critical factor.

If you do not do your "allocation homework," here is what can happen. You walk in your local dealership, order a Corvette, give them a non-refundable or refundable deposit (clarify with the dealer), get a six digit order code (most starting with the letter "R" or the letter "S") and think your Corvette is coming. Months later you find that your order means nothing, i.e., you are no further along than you were the day you walked into the dealership. This has happened to more than a couple folks on this forum. Why? Without that dealer having allocation, GM will not accept your order and it stays in limbo. Conversely, placing an order with a dealer who has allocation will eventually generate subsequent GM order acceptance (status code 2000). This is the "consequence letter" one of our forum members received after placing it at a dealer without allocation.

NOTE: At this time, supply is plentiful for all Corvettes except it will probably be very constrained for the 2019 ZR1’s. If you are going to order a 2019 ZR1, it is recommended, as GM has announced that they will be “limited availability,” that you read this thread. Thank you.

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...dering-stagnancy-acceptance-pricing-more.html

"Dear Mr. Xxxxxxx,
Thank you for contacting Chevrolet regarding your 2019 Corvette Stingray order. We apologize for the delay in our response. Your dealer has configured and requested a Corvette Stingray with your specifications. Until your dealership is granted allocation, it will remain in the dealership’s order bank. Only when your dealership has allocation, will the vehicle be scheduled for production. Thank you for contacting Chevrolet!"

This unfortunate letter is a sad reminder that allocation is the most important and required "trigger" toward getting a Corvette.

ALLOCATION CONFIRMATION: So how do you learn about which dealership to select -- which ones HAVE ALLOCATION?

Research! For most of us buying a C7 is one of the most expensive purchases we will make. Just as you spent hours scouring out which neighborhood to buy a house in, you need to do that same due diligence before selecting your dealership. One way is to talk to other current Corvettes owners in your area, especially those who have bought a new Corvette recently. Perhaps contact a local Corvette club, as most have members who are aware of such info, so a call to their President would be a place to get those answers. Also you could post your allocation questions on our forum, and you will learn which dealers to order from, who has allocation, who would charge way over list, who would treat you fair, etc. Right now there are many dealers with allocation who are selling at or below MSRP, some above, and yet our forum supporting dealer vendors are selling at really nice discounts.

Optionally, just before you sign your order request and place your deposit, ask your dealer to show you they actually have a Corvette allocation before placing a deposit! How do you know that your dealer has allocation? To quote a top ten dealer, one who has a deserved reputation for integrity and honesty, "If the dealer is willing, he can provide you with a copy of his consensus report which clearly shows what he asked for and what he received. Then each week on Thursday, the dealer can share with you his weekly placement report. This report will show the allocation for the week and the constraints that apply."

Dealers with allocation have nothing to hide, and if the dealer you are considering placing an order with will not show you documentation of their allocation, find another dealer, who with documented allocation, before placing your order.

So far, we have been primarily discussing walking into a local dealership. Options include purchasing your car from a large Corvette dealership located in another part of the country, and make that special Corvette road trip home. Alternatively, large Corvette dealers have a list of car transporting companies who specialize in shipping "top of the line" cars, so you could buy your car across the country and have it shipped to you. Or, to minimize shipping costs, you could do a "courtesy delivery." Essentially you buy from a far-away dealer, pay that dealer, but that dealer doesn't have GM ship the car to them, but instead shipped to a dealership close or near to you. To do a courtesy delivery, you have to find a local dealership who will accept the delivery, including performing the pre-delivery inspection (PDI). Most dealerships charge between $250-$750 to perform this service. However, many of the nation's top dealers already have an informal network of dealers throughout the country, one hopefully close to you, whom your selling dealer already knows those local dealerships will do a courtesy delivery for you -- again with the charge, but considerably less than shipping your car or going to your "cross country" dealer and driving it home. Or, pose your question on the forum, such as "I live in 'X', does anyone know who accepts courtesy deliveries here?" Another popular option is to take Museum Delivery at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, KY. Not only is this one of the nation's top-five car museums, but the home of our Corvette's history, made even more fantastic by an included tour of the Bowling Green Assembly plant where you car was made, just across the street. For more on Museum Delivery:

National Corvette Museum - Museum Delivery

NOTE please: Plant Tours are now “on hold.” Please contact the NCM. Delivery department for a status update (1.800.53.VETTE).

And to see new Corvettes waiting for, or being customer picked up:

Webcam Corvette Blvd

For direct communication with an individual who picked up their C7 at the Museum, happy to discuss their experience with you, answer your questions, etc, feel free to PM "jsvette", one of our Moderators. The following thread will help give you a feel about NCM Museum Delivery.

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-owners-logbook/1273-redhot-mine.html

If you still have questions about dealers with allocation, please feel free to post your question in the "Purchasing" area or contact one of the our three forum moderators (elegant, jsvette, Vigilance247) via PM.

At this point, you have selected your options, chosen your dealer who has allocation, and decided where/how you will be receiving your brand new 2019Corvette. Now you are going to actually place your order.

If the dealer is one of the dealers who were given allocations and who has met the above two dealership "tool and training" requirements, they would be able to put your order into the GM Workbench right then or within a day. They should then provide you a printout of the order with an order number and your name appearing on the order. But before you actually place your order, you ought to have a preliminary conversation with your salesperson and, ideally, the General Sales Manager (GSM) at the dealership. If this can be a face-to-face meeting, much better, as you can look them both in the eye during the conversation. See if there is any "squirreling," hesitating, etc. Ask him/her how many allocations they received for the 2018 C7, how many 2019’s they know they will have allocation for. At this point, most dealers who have 2019MY allocation will readily share honest information about their 2018 delivered Corvette orders. If you don't get straight answers, try another dealer. You can use the Chevrolet site to find legitimate dealers who are currently able to sell new C7's near your zip code. Also excellent, is that this forum has nine superb forum dealers, two on the East Coast (MacMulkin and Criswell are huge allocation, very honest dealerships), and one really good one in the mid-west, Castle Chevrolet, and for those out west and southwest, we have Denny Menholt Chevrolet (Montana), Rim Rock (MT), and Suburban Chev (near Portland, OR), have really good allocation, and super dealers in Texas, Ray Huffines Chevrolet Plano, and Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, and, of course like all our forum dealers, they too sell nationwide. All of our forum dealerships treat their customers with respect! All are honest/no games!

When you are totally satisfied that your dealer has allocation, and you know everything you want to have in your order, including considering how current constraints may affect when you get your car, you are ready to have your order written, including the written specification that your deposit is 100% refundable if for any circumstance your dealer can not deliver your order as you spec'd it, etc.

NOTES:

1) The 2019 C7 ordering process starts November 30, 2017. The last month to order the model year Corvette is typically in April -- and will again be so next year, with 2019 production currently scheduled to end sometime during 2019 — though we do not know when.

While this thread it locked, there is a related discussion thread for all wishing to discuss this thread's content, here:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...g/1510-before-ordering-discussion-thread.html

Thanks for posting there. Also, we have a second thread entitled Urgent:Order to Delivery -- detailing the complete steps between those two milestones, here:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...urgent-order-delivery-useful-information.html

Highly recommended you read it also!