![]() |
|
Welcome to the Australian Ford Forums forum. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and inserts advertising. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features without post based advertising banners. Registration is simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. Please Note: All new registrations go through a manual approval queue to keep spammers out. This is checked twice each day so there will be a delay before your registration is activated. |
|
The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Central Q..10kms west of Rocky...
Posts: 8,307
|
G.M.’s Do-It-Yourself Corvette Engine
By PAUL STENQUIST Many of us did it back in the day. Some of us did it more than once and have the scarred knuckles to prove it. John F. Martin for Chevrolet Rich McBride, an engine builder at the General Motors Performance Build Center. Now, those who missed out on the fun of building a power plant have a chance to make good — providing, of course, that their pockets are sufficiently deep. For an extra $5,800, buyers of a Corvette Z06 or ZR1 can assemble their car’s engine. There was a time when building your own engine was essential to earning your stripes as a car enthusiast. But unless you were a true expert, you could end up with a few leftover parts, adding significantly to the pain of those banged-up knuckles. Corvette buyers who opt for the new build-your-own option won’t have to worry about leaving a part out, because a General Motors technician will supervise the procedure at the Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Travel to Michigan will be at the customer’s expense, but a G.M. concierge will help coordinate arrangements and local transportation. “Corvette owners are some of the most passionate — and most involved — enthusiasts in the industry,” Jim Campbell, vice president of Chevrolet marketing in the United States, said on Monday. “The Corvette engine build experience offers customers an unprecedented opportunity to participate, hands on, in creating the car.” This unusual level of customer involvement is possible because both the Z06’s 7-liter engine and the ZR1’s 6.2-liter supercharged engine are assembled by hand. The personalized engines will be installed in the customer’s car at the Corvette assembly plant and come with an owner nameplate. So while build-your-own Corvette owners won’t experience the joy of working in a frigid garage under a single light bulb in the dead of winter, they will eventually get to hear the engine they assembled fire up. For many gearheads, that’s a thrill not easily matched. Those who are afraid that they might make a mistake even when working with the supervising engine guru can rest assured: The build-your-own engines are covered by Chevrolet’s five-year/100,000-mile transferable powertrain warranty.
__________________
CSGhia |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#2 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cattai, Sydney
Posts: 7,701
|
Interesting, a massive outlay to basically watch the bloke who would usually do it himself anyway though... Worth it though for the pub-talk lol
__________________
1992 EBII Fairmont Ghia 4.0l <---Click for the Gallery! Insta@mooneye_ghia White on bright red smoothies with thick whitewalls. Cruising around to some rockabilly |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#3 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Salisbury Heights, SA
Posts: 1,258
|
pretty cool idea but i dont see why the should be charging $5,800 for having someone else help them assemble it
__________________
BA mkII futura turbo 330rwkw on 13psi using standard N/A motor, water/methanol injection and rebuilt 4spd |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#4 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,868
|
Yeah and you may even be able to match piston to bore sizes to avoid the dreaded G.M pistonslap . www.pistonslap.com
|
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#5 | ||
Barra Turbo > V8
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 25,716
|
Bit pricey, but if your buying a ZR1 then you can afford the extra coin. If it were me id do it, great concept
__________________
-2011 XR6 Turbo Ute - Lux Pack - M6 -2022 Hyundai Tucson Highlander Diesel N Line |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#6 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Melb north
Posts: 12,025
|
sounds like a good way to build a long time enthusiast base for the company.
|
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Central Q..10kms west of Rocky...
Posts: 8,307
|
Maybe FPV should do it, before HSV do !!!!!
__________________
CSGhia |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#8 | |||
Chasing a FORD project!
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: adelaide
Posts: 5,114
|
Too costly I think(for GM) but if it where offered here I'd do it. It's not something you get to do every day!
__________________
Quote:
1996 BMW 740iL V8. TV, phone, leather, sunroof, satnav, all as standard. Now with 19" TSW Brooklands, 2 1/2" stainless steel exhaust, plus more coming soon. |
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#9 | ||
Mustang GT mmmmmm......
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Mornington Peninsula
Posts: 1,458
|
You pay all that money and still have to do it yourself.
For that cost i'd expect blueprinting and balancing.
__________________
I have become a Mustanger. |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#10 | ||||
Chasing a FORD project!
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: adelaide
Posts: 5,114
|
Quote:
__________________
Quote:
1996 BMW 740iL V8. TV, phone, leather, sunroof, satnav, all as standard. Now with 19" TSW Brooklands, 2 1/2" stainless steel exhaust, plus more coming soon. |
||||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#11 | ||
Got Ghia?
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Perth
Posts: 999
|
The premium would be because with them supervising someone it'd be freaking slow. They would probably build 4 in the time it would take them to supervise build one.
__________________
2007 BF MKII Ghia V8 - BA GT Exhaust| F6 Intake | Superlows | 19" GT-P's | 30mm Swaybar | - Sold ![]() 2002 AU2 XR8 Ute - Manual | Leather | Injected LPG | Pacemakers |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#12 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: South east Melbourne
Posts: 1,790
|
i think its a great idea price is steep but if i could afford it id do too
__________________
XD with EL xr8 front 393 12.1 114mph on lpg: Sold
FG F6 Manual 366RWKW tuned by BLUE POWER ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#13 | ||
...
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,046
|
I'm don't think i'd want anything to do with an engine that's been partially assembled by me. There are things i'm good at and things i'll pay more skilled people to do for me. I know its supervised and the warranty isn't affected but i'd find some way to put something in upside down or otherwise f'ck something up.
![]() Last edited by 3vXT; 19-07-2010 at 08:34 PM. |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#14 | ||
460 - cubes torque
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Oz
Posts: 134
|
Would this affect resale potential though? ie. would you rather a factory built engine or one put together by the owner?
|
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#15 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,077
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#16 | |||
You dig, we stick!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,461
|
Quote:
__________________
"....You don't put the car through engineering" - Rod Barrett. |
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#17 | ||
BOSS 5.4L Enthusiast
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 21,904
|
Pretty cool idea, not cheap though.
|
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#18 | |||
No longer a Uni student..
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Posts: 2,557
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#19 | ||
.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 6,197
|
On the assumption that:
a) I lived in the states and was buying a Corvette; b) That I had the spare cash to do this exercise; Then I would be happier paying $15k to have a Van roll up at my place, full of parts and tools and assemble the thing in my garage and install it into the engine bay that had been patiently waiting for a week or two. In my book, that would be cool. |
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#20 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Montrose, Victoria
Posts: 1,217
|
$5800 Tell them they're dreaming lol, Id rather buy the car standard then spend the money on aftermarket parts!
|
||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#21 | |||
You dig, we stick!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,461
|
Quote:
__________________
"....You don't put the car through engineering" - Rod Barrett. |
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#22 | |||
No longer a Uni student..
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Posts: 2,557
|
Quote:
Either way, it clearly states the possible effect it would have on sales. Actually, out of curiousity. What is the statistical chance of a car having an accident that would result in it being written off each year? And the chance of it being sent to the scrappers due to being uneconomical to maintain. I'm guessing it must be significant since I swear I am seeing way less E-series Falcons and VS/VT Commodores around now then even a couple of years ago. And considering they were very high volume models..... Because that would also have to affect sales of Corvette's as the older ones get written off or sent to the wreckers. |
|||
![]() |
![]() ![]() |