[Redc7]

So it looks like the LT4 engine will be built at two locations, at the Tonawanda engine plant and at the Corvette plant. What's the difference where your engine gets built? At Tonawanda they are assembled on a line by up to 40 people. At the Bowling Green plant each engine is built from bare block to finish by just one builder.

Even though all engines are built mostly by hand, with just a question of how many hands, the LT4 engines built in BG are unique because they come with a name tag of the person that built your engine.

So will history prove that where your engine was built make one Z06 more valuable than the other? How many of us when we take delievery will open the hood and will look for this name tag? I know I will be looking for it.

 

[Moxychacha]

Very interesting question!

 

[elegant]

There will be info forthcoming in a few weeks that will address a major part of one of your questions. (Sorry, can not say more now.) However, your idea of raising the hood will definitely answer another part of it.

As you know, years of future history may be needed to answer your other one.

 

[LT4 Awesome]

How many of us when we take delievery will open the hood and will look for this name tag? I know I will be looking for it.

Ok I admit I will be looking too and, for now, hoping mine is built in BG.

Thinking for a second, though, one wonders if Tonnawanda engines will be more prevalent early given the fact that they've been building engines for many, many years whereas this is new to BG folk...

 

[Vigilance247]

When I took the BG plant tour, the tour guide said the engine built area was for those participating in the engine build experience, which I think is for the LT4?

 

[elegant]

When I took the BG plant tour, the tour guide said the engine built area was for those participating in the engine build experience, which I think is for the LT4?

Absolutely correct info you were given, but given that there were only three engine build experiences in 2013, admittedly a very slow year (1/3 of 2014 sales), there will be a lot more than engine build experience motors built at the PBC center, i.e., they are building 18-24 motors every day now -- though some are Z-28 LS7's.

 

[LT1xL82]

...there were only three engine build experiences in 2013...

It's too bad it cost something like $5K. I'd love to do it, but that high of a price along with travel expenses give me pause. (Well actually "stop"! )

 

[elegant]

We do not yet know the Performance Build Center (PBC) option cost for the C7's. Keep hearing rumors (and they are just rumors at this point), that it will be about $1,750. Expect program formal announcement and pricing around the end of this year/beginning of next, program to start around March.

 

[Rdrcr]

There will be info forthcoming in a few weeks that will address a major part of one of your questions. (Sorry, can not say more now.) However, your idea of raising the hood will definitely answer another part of it.

As you know, years of future history may be needed to answer your other one.

I'm so confused!

Mike

 

[elegant]

I'm so confused! . Mike

Those LT4 engines which are hand built, will have a builder's name on a little plaque mounted on the motor, which one will be able to see by raising the hood. The LT4's built at the Tonawanda will be "assembly line constructed" (yet with the same tolerances, same tests, and to the same standards) and thus will not have a builder's name plaque on them.

We will learn which motors are built that Tonawanda and conversely which ones will be billed at the Performance Build Center inside BGAP fairly shortly

 

[rdslon01]

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that all LT4 which go in a manual Z07 will be built in Bowling Green.

 

[Babaron]

I got my fingers crossed on that too!

 

[Rdrcr]

Those LT4 engines which are hand built, will have a builder's name on a little plaque mounted on the motor, which one will be able to see by raising the hood. The LT4's built at the Tonawanda will be "assembly line constructed" (yet with the same tolerances, same tests, and to the same standards) and thus will not have a builder's name plaque on them.

We will learn which motors are built that Tonawanda and conversely which ones will be billed at the Performance Build Center inside BGAP fairly shortly

Does the buyer have a choice when the vehicle is ordered?

Mike

 

[Babaron]

No one asked me when I ordered mine.

 

[Helipilot]

My money would be on either Museum Delivery cars or Z07s for the BG built LT4s.... either way I'm in!! My thinking is that there will be a lot less BG built engines so if they are going to announce that it is for a specific grouping of Z06s then it needs to be a smaller proportion of cars.... Museum Delivery if it needs to be very small or Z07s if it is a larger proportion

 

[Redc7]

When they start the "build your own" LT4 program when you can pay some $$$ and build your own LT4 engine this will be done at BG. I believe "most" LT4's engines will be built in NY because BG could never keep up with the volume of Z06's being built. Now could some of these 1 person built LT4's at BG end up in other customer's cars? Good question and my opinion it could happen. Maybe some Z07 cars might get these engines? Or it could be some random Z06's going down the line? I would say anything is possible....

 

[LT1xL82]

I think this will go down as a big to-do about nothing. The hand-built is necessarily better than assembly line, for a mass produced product, is over the top.

The New York plant is not going to throw together junk anymore than the BG plant is going to balance and blueprint the engine to exacting tolerances. I seriously doubt these motors will be materially different.

 

[Redc7]

Agree I don't believe where your engine is built matters as far as quality and in fact both engines are pretty much hand built its just a matter of how many hands.

The BG build just makes it "a little" more special because of the "built by" tag that these engines supposedly get.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Agreed.
However, it could affect resale value in the future.

Mike

 

[Babaron]

I can foresee a future market for repro handbuilt tags. Who would know? Will the window sticker tell where the engine was built?