June 2, 2010
Rule #1
So you’re mechanic says your old car has about had it. You know it, you’ve been ignoring those oil changes for so long now, extending them to double the miles. It’s too inconvenient, you were a little short of cash that month, Christmas was coming, the kids were back to school, and of course, it was tax time. Then there was that day when that hose popped causing the engine to get really hot. Ever since then it’s been one thing after another. What did you expect from coolant hoses 10 years old and over 100,000 miles???
So you start looking for a replacement car. You go to the dealer and look at the prices of a new one. Wow. And don’t forget those new registration fees, insurance, and of course the sales tax right up front. DOUBLE WOW!
So on your way home you see a used car lot. Lots of shiny cars, banners, heck they even have some balloons! You pull in. But remember there’s a reason for the saying “like a used car salesman”. What it means is simple. All is fair in selling a used car…
It all begins with the “Howdy partner!” as you exit your car. “You lookin to trade in that one today?”
One has to only use common sense to realize one thing. All of these cars came from someone who didn’t want them anymore. Ever wonder why? Because they did exactly what you did and are doing. You’re simply buying another car with its own troubles that the dealer wholesaled to his buddy the used car dealer, or worse yet, the used car guy went to an auction and bought the vehicle with absolutely no history whatsoever.
Rule #1: There is a reason a car gets traded in.
Now there are many ways to “fix up” a used car. I’ve had many dealers come to me looking for cheap fixes for major problems. A can of Stop Leak here and there, a spark plug here and a wire tie there. Then put a flunky behind a buffing wheel and before you know it, it’s on the lot ready for the next owner.
“One owner” “Low Miles”
“This car is so nice a wash job would screw it up”
The truth is, the car came from Nashville after it got pulled from the floods. Thousands of these flooded cars are already on lots all across the country. There’s big business in cars and moving them from state to state is common. Cars can be brought back from being submerged but the likelihood of continuous problems is highly likely. And you know what? Your salesman doesn’t have to say a word about where the car came from, or how deep the water was. SO what do you do?
You look in the newspaper and find the right car for sale by private owner, then go talk with the owner. Why is he selling? There are many good reasons to sell. Aging, a death in the family may cause the sale of a vehicle. Private parties also have service records, which are the first thing a dealer throws in the trash (that’s the last thing they want you to do is contact the previous owner).
Service records are important but more importantly is to have a GOOD technician who knows that brand perform an inspection. Most shops will charge you an hour or so but if this is a serious prospect, you’ll need to know everything you can about the vehicle. In many cases, a good report will show what work needs to be done and areas of attention that will be bargaining points with the seller. The car needs $1,000 worth of work, you both split the cost in the purchase price, everyone wins.
Some dealers offer “Approved” or “Certified” used cars for sale. They are worth a look but why did someone turn in a perfectly good car? In most cases they didn’t. There’s a reason…
Remember Rule #1
JVD
May 24, 2010
Time For a New Car? Or is it?
So the time has come to make that fateful decision. Your trusty ‘ol S-10 truck has gotten hot and it has never run the same since. You are contemplating whether to spend the money to repair the engine, or junk it and get another vehicle. Well, here’s some advice that will hopefully save you some big money and big problems in the future.
Providing you don’t have an ace terrific neighborhood mechanic who specializes in GM vehicles you’ll probably start calling around, asking prices, etc. Let me start by saying that if anyone quotes you a price over the phone, without seeing the vehicle in person and inspecting it, they are simply throwing that fishing lure at you hoping to snag the job. What option are you going to have when they quote you one price, then take it all apart in a hundred pieces and then call you and say they need another $1500? The auto repair industry is famous for just that. The dealers do it too. So what do you do? You visit the shop, inspect it for cleanliness and professionalism. You talk with the manager and then ask him for a detailed estimate. You ask about warranty, timeline, etc. Maybe most importantly, you ask him for a reference or two. Someone who had had a similar job in the past. Or, maybe you look at their website and find 20 or 30 “testimonials”. I like that too….:-).
So now you have a fair idea of a price, is the vehicle worth it? After all, you’re talking about putting into the vehicle what it likely books for running. Items to think about are new car payments, new and higher registration and insurance costs, the vehicles service history, and the condition of the vehicle. If it’s a rust bucket from Michigan? Don’t waste your time, but a clean, well maintained vehicle adds points to its merit. And remember, a paid off vehicle can also be insured with limited benefits saving you tons more.
In 2007 we had a woman bring in her truck which was making loud lifter noises. It had 180,000 miles and she swore she serviced it regularly but she probably fell victim to an inferior oil and filter place. The truck was super clean and garage kept so I presented the idea of a new GM engine and a guesstimate of around $5,000. I told her to go check out new vehicles and let me know what she decided. I explained this to her:
A new truck $30,000. Down Payment $3,000 Sales tax of $1800 Insurance doubles Registration Fees up by 400% $500 per month new payments. .
As you can see, the sales tax and down payment alone nearly pay for the new engine. I explained that in the first year alone, the repair of $5,000 was $500 per month. In just 10 months, she paid for the repair and keeps her truck. .
So you’ve made the choice to repair. What’s next? .
New vs Rebuilt vs Remanufactured
Most rebuild shops use a lot of the old parts from within an engine for example, pistons and camshaft, valves &valve springs, etc. They do this to save on costs. The less they spend on new parts, the more profit they make.
A GM engine uses a cleaned block and cylinder head castings, but the majority of everything else is new.
Warranty
Warranty is an important item. If Joe Blow does the job, he may give you a 12 month, 12,00 mile warranty and you are at his mercy to redo any problems. When you get mad at him after several problems, how good is your warranty? GM’s warranty (a whopping 36 month, 100,000 mile) is good as long as an authorized GM Installer (like us) does the job. You can go to any GM dealership in the country for warranty so when you’re on vacation in Florida and something goes wrong, you’re not trying to truck the thing back to Joe Blow or his machine shop.
Symptoms & Other Problems
It is important to remember why you are having to repair the engine in the first place. It might run poorly, make noise, consume oil or in this case, it overheated and now runs poorly. A cylinder leak down test indicates one cylinder is damaged. You might also mention that the AC hasn’t worked in years. When we do an engine, we look at the whole picture. Most likely the vehicle will be getting a new radiator, hoses, belts, water pump, plugs, wires, dist cap, motor mounts, possibly even a new battery and cables. And in this case, maybe a new AC Compressor. Why? Because the goal here is to COMPLETELY repair the vehicle, spend the money once, and then not keep putting in continuous repairs. While the engine is out, why not replace the transmission front seal or the clutch too?
Once repairs are completed, enjoy your vehicle for the next few years and enjoy your old friend once again and the savings to your pocketbook.
Oh and P.S. The woman who chose to replace her engine back in Feb 2007? Hasn’t spent a dime on it since and loves her truck. 38 months and counting without a car payment?
April 27, 2010
The Reality of Wal-Mart
It began way back in the 40’s when Sam Walton leased a small variety store in Newport Arkansas. He relocated and bought a 5 and dime store and soon developed the novell idea that he could actually make more profit if he cut his prices attracting more business than his competition. His stores have swept the country like a plague ever since. Capitalism at its best or is it?
But there’s a very sinister side to the Wal-Mart concept.
Most of us all remember that malt shop, hardware store or other little Mom and Pop businesses we used to frequent as we grew up. The streets were lined with them. They provided us summer jobs and little league sponsorships. They gave us a smile and big hello when we walked in and the weather and our families were always the hot topic of small talk. Most of those are gone today.
The Catch 22 is that the bigger Wal-Mart gets, the more they can undercut the market on pricing. As businesses go out, those employees have little choice but to go to work at the very place which put them unemployed. With that hiring power, the huge conglomerate figures it can do what it pleases especially with its army of sub-$8 per our employees. How many smiles do you see on the faces of your local Wal-Mart employees?
And once the competition is gone, don’t think Sir Walter keeps those prices in check. That bottle of soda water was .50 cents a year ago. Today it’s .98. 100% markup in a year???
Wal-Mart has been sued many times over the years but the giant may have finally met HIS match. A group of women have filed for, and successfully been awarded, a “class” for the purposes of filing a “class action” against the mightiest of all retailers. Reportedly this class could reach a million current and former female employees who allege that Wally World didn’t pay them equal to their male counterparts. If this is true and can be proven, that little yellow “smiley face” might turn upside down at least for a while.
Of course The Wally won’t be an easy foe but even if they lose, the reality of Wal-Mart comes back into play again and again. With revenues of $360 BILLION and profits of over $11 BILLION, Wal-Mart could give each and every female employee a hefty settlement and hardly feel the pinch. They might just have to raise the prices in their women’s section a percent or two…
JVD
Bowling Green, KY
(270)842-0454
02 Mar 2010
Recalls & Stuff…
So you’ve all heard about the huge recalls of Toyota products, but more recently GM too is recalling a million of its smaller cars for power steering problems. Many of you have had experiences with problems on your cars and later found out they were common ones that many others experienced. Why didn’t they have a recall?
Recalls
A recall is issued when a safety issue is involved. The NTSB (National Transportation and Safety Board) receives complaints and initiates an investigation. If a safety problem is determined to be valid, then it asks the manufacturer to issue a “voluntary” recall. This makes the manufacturer give the impression of wanting the best for its customers. In reality, its all about money. The manufacturer usually finds out there is a problem long before the NTSB because the customers bring their cars to the dealers first.
Auto manufacturers play a game called warranty. Warranty is defined as a period of time that the manufacturer guarantees a product will perform to a set of parameters. They will do anything and EVERY THING to get a vehicle off the warranty and therefore saving them warranty expense. In some cases, a manufacturer will ignore a problem, hoping to get those particular vehicles off warranty and their own financial liability.
It is important to note that a recall is for safety related issues.
Campaigns
Campaigns are internal manufacturer fixes for a faulty design or for parts not operating as prescribed for the given period of time. Say for instance a fan motor is designed too close to the exhaust manifold causing pre-mature failure. The manufacturer identifies the failure is common, it’s costing them money to fix under warranty, so they design a cheap, foil wrapped shield to fit over the motor hoping this will keep the problem from happening on all their similar cars, thus costing them much more to replace the motors.
A campaign is usually about non-safety related manufacturer issues. Faulty parts, faulty design, or premature failures are manufacturer related and not usually government controlled. There are exceptions to every rule however. Sometimes faulty design or performance becomes a legal issue when action is taken against the manufacturer by a customer group or “class” of customers.
Class Actions and Lawsuits
Some say Toyota will suffer greatly if it is found that they in fact knew there was a problem but did nothing to solve it. This is nothing new and in fact, was usually the case until recently when juries began issuing huge awards to customers and groups, more than the manufacturer might have thought they would have to pay even when their customers were injured or killed as a result of a defect. Yes folks, Ford knew their Pinto fuel tanks would explode in crashes, GM knew their Monte Carlo and pickup fuel tanks would explode under certain conditions, but they also figured it would cost much more to fix the problems rather than pay a few lawsuits, even if it resulted in deaths of customers. In both cases, they were wrong. Their respective juries awarded huge sums in punitive damages causing the manufactures to have second thoughts when an issue became known.
Partly because of its being the leader in sales, GM has had its share of recalls and class actions. In fact, some say their recent bankruptcy enabled them to partially escape their most recent defective product lawsuit: Dexcool anti-freeze. In short, the 2008 California Supreme Court decision agreed GM consumers were sold products containing DexCool even after it was found out the chemical was causing gasket damage and turned to a semi-solid causing cooling system failures of all kinds. GM is still using DexCool in ALL of their vehicles though the service intervals have been modified in their literature.
These problems and concerns can and will happen to any manufacturer whether the product is a baby stroller or a stealth fighter. The real issue is how and how well a manufacturer deals with them. It will be very interesting to see how both Toyota and GM decide to deal with their latest issues.
Either way, I see some BIG discounts coming!
22 Feb 2010
Are Auto Journalists Brain Dead?
I recently had a friend send me a link to an article in the Detroit Free Press asking whether it might be a good idea to make two “versions” of the Corvette. (http://www.freep.com/article/20100221/COL14/2210510/1002/Business/Should-Chevy-Corvette-have-2-versions)They bring up the idea that you must be rich to be able to afford a Corvette and therefore why not make a cheaper model. Here’s a quote:
One school of thought within GM says Chevrolet should split the Corvette into two models -- a high-end vehicle that offers everything Audi, Ferrari and Porsche do and a separate, more affordable model.
I think these types of journalists were mis-treated as children. Maybe dropped on their heads too often. Uh yes boys and girls, that’s exactly what we do have, in fact, we now have 5 or so versions from which to pick from.However, the more affordable version must not be a 'Vette-lite, IHS consultant Bruce Harrison said. "It must be a no-excuses car -- it almost needs to be everything today's Corvette is. If GM can build that car for around $40,000, there's room for a separate top model with prices that start above the current Corvette and extend well above $100,000, he said.
Ever meet a person who just loves to hear themselves speak? What Mr Harrison doesn’t comprehend is the base Vette DOES have an MSRP of $48,900. That’s about $30K under its Porsche competition. The Corvette also has a Convertible, a Grand Sport, a Z06 and finally, a ZR1 which bridge the price scale from $48,900 to $130,000 accordingly. So what are they talking about?
GM has not made any decisions yet. If it takes the two-model route, however, the cars would have different styling, names and powertrains.
Really? You mean maybe they could call it a “Camaro” or something like that? What a headline!! But the best quote yet is yet to come:
A more affordable Corvette would be a return to the model's roots, IHS analyst John Wolkonowicz said. As late as the mid-1990s, "mere mortals could afford Corvettes," he said. "A college grad could order a new 'Vette. You don't see that anymore."
Hey John. YOU DON’T SEE COLLEGE GRADS ANYMORE EITHER!! I don’t ever remember a college grad buying a new Vette unless they were graduating the Air Force Academy and had 4 years of savings accrued. Would it be safe to say that lowering the price of gold, silver and precious gems would make them more affordable too? Look John, there’s many a reason a 23 year old can’t go out and buy a 180mph car. Number one is called survival.
The Corvette is an ego toy, plain and simple. It is a statement of accomplishment or success. You know, with “journalists” like this printing this type of rationale, it’s no wonder the auto industry is where it is today. There are no free rides. You want the ultimate Tahoe? It’s called Escalade….
05 Jan 10
An Old Friend Comes Home
It was a long and expensive learning curve but my third attempt at buying a Suburban was the right one. Our first, an ’89 two wheel drive was a truck. It was hard, high, loud, and needed 4 acres to turn around in. Hardly the handy little transport for the wife and kids. So, two years later I bought a nice low ’91 1/2 ton Suburban two wheel drive and it was better but it made you sea sick driving down the road it was so soft.
In late 1992 I was at the dealership fooling around and saw them unload a ½ ton 4x4 Suburban. It looked a bit higher than the 2 wheel drive but not as high as the ¾ ton. I jumped in and took it for a drive. Hey, it was a tad stiff but perfect ride height. I went in and told my buddy (the owner) to order me one. We opened the brochure and there was a beautiful two tone champagne over burgundy Suburban. I want that one! We checked every single option except fender flares.
While I was waiting, they gave me the phone number for the Janesville (WI) plant where it was being built. I called and talked with a guy, gave him my build number, and he said he would call me when it came down the line. What a nice guy! A couple of weeks later, he calls me and says my Suburban is almost completed and he walked it through himself, it was beautiful. Oh, and just for kicks, he took the actual build sheet off the front and sent it to me, masking tape and all. Man, I will never own anything but a Chevrolet!!
When it arrived it was absolutely beautiful, perfect in every way. Sherri loved it, the kids loved it, we all did. And our extended warranty covered everything for some 6 years, even a new GM engine after we burned a valve (not the engine’s fault but a long story). For some reason, I saved the original engine.
One year I bought a new Escalade but if you can believe it, we all liked the Suburban better, so we sold the Escalade after just 6 months. When it came time for the divorce, of course Sherri needed the Suburban, so there it was and has been for some seven more years now, mostly sitting outside in the sun and elements, mostly neglected….
So when Jim Jr told me his mom was thinking about selling the ‘ol Suburban, I made her an offer. I don’t know why, but I loved that ‘ol truck. We had a lot of good memories, trips across the country, towing the painted to match trailer we had. It wasn’t worth much, but something told me I should get the ‘ol Suburban back. I asked Jr if he thought it would make it back to Kentucky and he hesitated a bit. “Dad, it’s got 265,000 miles on it. What do you think?” he said.
Well, I just got back from a quick trip between Christmas and New Years and guess what I brought back with me? Yep, the Burb. It had a leak in the radiator but I kept adding water all the way across the country and true to form, it never let me down. It didn’t give me any heat either but that’s another story! 2,000 miles in 2 days. Just like the ‘ol days!
In between adding water, I began jotting down notes on my “To Do” list. Door latches were not working, the rear hatch wouldn’t lock, windows quit and the check engine lite was always on. Regardless, it ran well, in fact, I averaged 18.5 MPG from California to Bowling Green. So now what?
Well, the engine leaks badly from the rear main seal and everywhere else. Why not rebuild the original engine and start out anew? So as we looked it over, Bob noticed the engine’s build numbers which showed the actual build date of January 8th. January 8th happens to be MY birthday! Karma or what?
So this winter’s plans include a little fixin’ up of an old friend who just needs a little TLC. I even found a little notebook and in it is the original build sheet and window sticker. Why did I keep this stuff? After all it’s just an old Suburban, right? What is it about this old truck that keeps coming back?
I turned the page of the build sheet and noticed a copy of my dealer’s invoice. It said:
COMPLETED: 01/14/93
Shipped: 01/14/93
So the ‘ol Burb’s birthday is Jan 14th, huh?
My daughter’s birthday is January 14th…!!
What was the name of that movie again? Oh yeah, “CHRISTINE”
JVD & "My Mother the Car"
19 Dec 09
Merry Christmas GM. And a Happy New Year!!
I’ve been putting it off for nearly a year now. Avoiding it like the plague. I heard how bad it was so I tried to ignore it. I kept asking myself, “I really need to don’t I?”. “I really should, shouldn’t I?” Well, OK, I finally did it. I couldn’t stay away any longer from the place I’ve loved for so long. And yes, it did hurt a little…
In the Bowling Green Daily News the headline reads:
“GM To Lay Off 75 More at Corvette Plant”.
I arrived at Security and placed my badge on my collar. I remember the first time. The excitement, the noise, the movement, the crowds of people. I walked through those very same doors now some 18 years later. It was 1991 for the Plant’s 10th Bowling Green birthday. There were crowds. There was a new Corvette coming off the line every 3 minutes. People were happy. People waved. People smiled…
But today was different in a lot of ways. First of all, the plant looked deserted…and it nearly is. Once nearly 1,000 strong, todays line includes a scant 250+ assemblers. It looked like the line was stopped but it wasn’t. Once it built 18 bright new Corvettes an hour, now just 4 or 5 depending on troubles and stoppages. It goes so slow you have to stop walking and stare at the wheels of the carts and see if they move ever so slowly.
Fortunately, they are.
The plant was also noticeably quiet, almost eerily so. In places where nine assemblers once stood, now a mere three. And they don’t have much time to say Hi as they now do three times what they once did, in three times the time, in three times the space, etc.
As evident by a hundred cars awaiting repairs, quality is a big concern. The GM Bankrupcty affected many suppliers and many went broke. New suppliers making new parts always presents new problems, especially with so many of the experienced folks taking their retirements. Some early, some on time, some forced.
But I noticed something that hasn’t changed even since my very first visit. Something that, no matter what, always seems to be there. Something that even these few who are left do on these 2010 models, that they once did on those 1991’s. It’s just a pat here and a touch there. It’s following a line with a gloved hand or a glance from a trained eye. It’s a slight mark with a grease pencil. It’s that same look I remember so well from days long gone. They care and they want it right.
And like Gramps once said in the middle of a terrible storm, “I think tomorrow will be good. I think we’ll catch fish.”
The good news is the layoffs, the plant closings, the slowing of the line is reportedly over. After returning from the Christmas break it will be full steam ahead at 10 hours a day Monday through Thursday, and even Friday if need be. Many who left Bowling Green have gone to other GM plants especially those doomed SUV and truck plants which are working three shifts a day again. Go figure…
And there is other good news at GM. Leadership has changed and is changing. Although money is at its tightest, the beancounters are finding themselves in the (figurative) soup line. Bill Ford came back and turned his company around and Ford’s sales are soaring. Sure people like their cars and trucks, but there’s more. People like the fact they did it on their own. They did it in America.
GM is also making sometimes drastic changes. Their latest leader, Fritz Henderson, came on board just a few months ago and in his acceptance speech, announced he would cut more jobs, close more plants and import more. If you remember, I called him out (see Jim’s Blog Archives). I told him that kind of thinking hadn’t worked for the past 30 years, and it wouldn’t now. I told him if we wanted cheap imported Korean junk cars they were already here. We didn’t need the Aveo, and more, we wouldn’t buy it.
Well, thanks to you folks, and the new GM Board of Directors, Mr Henderson has the title of having been the shortest tenured GM CEO in GM’s history. Oh, and the new Aveo? It just made the “Top 10 Worst Cars of the Decade” list. And of course, it isn’t selling.
So the GM mothership is turning slightly into the wind. Car people are what GM needs to lead the way and I believe they have them on board but still somewhat muzzled. I listened in on a GM employee chat the other day and was amazed at the questions GM employees asked of Bob Lutz, (still there but hopefully not for long). One asked if there were any plans for a new “patriotic theme” in America to help boost sales. Lutz responded “The emphasis on national origin never seems to work with most people." Really Bob? Seems patriotism has been the theme of Chevrolet since the 50’s and in fact, THE most successful advertising campaign in GM history was “The Heartbeat of America”.
Another chatter asked Lutz: “How do you think GM ‘culture’ should change for us to be more successful in the future?” The question was obviously directed at GM’s ever present arrogance which led to its demise. And how did GM’s #1 North America guy answer? “I don’t think there’s much wrong with GM culture, to be frank.”
Bob. You are 77. Why not enjoy a few years of retirement. We’ll even give you a couple of Aveo’s if you’ll step back and give the troops a chance for a change.
I hope all of you have learned something very important during this scary economic time. Something we’ve been preaching for many years now but never so evident as now. Spend your dollars in the USA. This Christmas season, make an effort to buy from Americans, US made goods if possible. Certainly there are items you can’t, but there are many you can. Taking a vacation? A cruise? Why not choose an American company and cruise America. We have some of the most breathtaking scenery on this continent. Why not enjoy it.
Buying a car? Take GM up on their offer. Do your homework. They’ve got some very interesting vehicles out there and more coming. Gas mileage, safety, durability, warranty and resale are major factors but hopefully GM will recognize that styling and features sell cars. Oh, and don’t be fooled into those trendy "green" hybrids either. You might save a few bucks in gas but when those $4,000 batteries need changing, or that $10,500 power Invertor that makes them work goes out, well, how much did you really save??
We have a family member looking for a car in the near future. I want her to make an informed decision so we looked online and found a GM counter-part to her first choice, sort of (Chevy Equinox vs Toyota Highlander). I “built” the car online and hit the “Email this to a friend” link. She got a blank email. So did the GM employee I copied. But I also had issues with the Toyota website as well.
So take GM up on their newest sales campaign. “May the best Car (and website) Win!” It’s a fair challenge. Let’s hope our new GM leaders realize and understand the importance of good quality, good service, and loyalty. Let’s see if the old successful brand names come back and stay rather than new ones being made up every month and a half. And as far as patriotism?
I’d like to see a MAJOR ad campaign like we’ve never seen before offering our troops and their families one heck of a nice incentive to own a GM vehicle. I’d like to see an ad showing the Lordstown Ohio plant being renovated to employ Americans to build the new Chevy Cruze. (GM is reportedly investing $350m to update the idled facility)
And finally, I’d like to see a Corvette commercial. Made by Corvette Plant employees explaining what it’s like to build America’s true sports car. Maybe they would title it…
“We Build Your Dream, In Bowling Green”
Have the Merriest Holiday possible under the circumstances and lets all wish GM a Happy, Innovative, Changing and HUMBLE New Year.
07 Dec 09
"I Dreamed a Dream"
I don’t do too much regular TV. I don’t do rap and the commercials are mostly ridiculous jabs at one’s intelligence. But there was one really big bright spot this year. It came from across the “pond” and blew me out of my chair from the very beginning. No really, I’m not going to lie to you, it brought tears running down my face.
At birth she was a ‘Blue Baby”, deprived of oxygen during childbirth. She survived with slight brain damage which caused her some learning disabilities and thus mockery from her classmates who nicknamed her “Susan Simple”. She sang for her church and a few karaoke pubs in her hometown but the insecurity of her appearance and the years of ridicule kept her from pursuing her talent.
Susan lived in a small government owned home with her mother whom constantly urged her to try out for “Britain’s Got Talent” TV show, a direct spin off from the US based hit “American Idol”. When her mother died in 2007, Susan kept inside to herself and her cat. Neighbors say there were times when they wouldn’t see her for days at a time. Eventually, Susan went back to volunteering at her church, aiding their elderly, and cooking in their kitchen. Susan finally decided she would try out for the show as a tribute to her Mom even though she hadn’t sung a note in public since her Mom’s passing. She earned her chance after competing in a talent search in 2008.
The organizers put her on the list of contestant’s who would perform in front of the three celebrity judges. As part of the show, the judges were sometimes given a prank performance and when Susan Boyle, hand perched upon her hip, marched so diligently to her cue spot on the stage, rocked her plump hips and nodded “so there!” with her head, the audience and judges smirked, rolled their eyes and like so many in her past, they downright laughed out loud at her. She was asked who she wanted to be most like and she responded “Elaine Paige”, a famous British theatre singer. Simon Crowe arrogantly asked her age and after hearing 47, asked her why her career hadn’t work out before. She responded by saying simply, “I never have gotten then chance until now”.
All our stereotyping was in full effect. This ‘ol biddy was really going to embarrass herself and we all knew it. Then Susan Boyle raised that microphone as if she had done it a thousand times before. What happened next words can’t even describe. Appropriately, her chosen piece was titled… “I Dreamed a Dream”.
It has now become Susan’s turn to shine. Her new album has broken all records as it has become the biggest selling female debut album of ALL TIME, including even the top name pop stars. Her looks have been carefully amended and she has received many accolades, even an invitation to the White House for our July 4th celebtration. It’s now Miss Boyles turn to laugh at all of us….but she won’t.
Congratulations Miss Boyle…and thank you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Critiques, Criticism and Compliments
I had a guy come in the other day and make a statement that I was “anti-GM”. It seems he reads my blog and because I have made criticisms, I must be a non-fan of GM. My response was this: GM has been a very important part of my life as it is for millions of others, however, ANY company who doesn’t listen to constructive criticism is doomed. Likewise, I do not consider a conversation “constructive", unless the one who criticizes also suggests a remedy. I believe if you look back at the archive of Jim’s Blog, whenever you see a criticism, you will also see a suggestion to correct it. In my humble opinion of course. :-)
You all know by now that I want a job at GM. I know, I know, so do a lot of other people. But I want a special job and now it would have to be approved by the President himself. Fat chance? I’m smoking my mattress feathers? Am I just plain nuts? Well, I guess I probably am, but think of the possibilities if this dream came true. Imagine if the ideas, concepts and suggestions of a real motorhead got back into the thinking and direction of GM? Even if just in a small, minute way?
Let’s take the airlines for instance. While most all US based airlines are on the brink of bankruptcy, or have already been there on numerous occasions, Southwest Airlines has prospered and in fact, realized record profits. How could this happen, I mean, if all were in deep shee shee, so be it, but this one stands tall. How? Why? Because they listen!! It began years ago when they told you to bring your own snack aboard rather than go through the façade of watching your flight attendants do their dance up and down the isle passing out peanuts and seven ups. Southwest listened to their employees and they listened to their customers, the ones with the real knowledge of how things work and what they want, and they implemented that strategy. Guess what folks. Southwest is #1 and still doesn’t charge you $100 to bring a couple of bags on board. I have a friend who is a Captain for Southwest. I asked him how he likes them and he told me they were the best employer he’s ever experienced….with the exception of his F-14 Navy Fighter Squadron.
GM’s being run by beancounters and they are the doom of any company. Sure we need them to count the beans. It’s when they begin to tell us where to plant the beans, how to plant the beans, package the beans, market the beans and then sell the beans, that the bean company goes broke. GM currently touts better mileage (1 or 2mpg) than even Honda and Toyota. What they don’t speak of is styling, durability, cost of operation and resale value. And what we’re finding out now on the service side, service parts are coming in from all over the world at ridiculous prices. The other day we had a gas gauge on a ’98 Park Avenue go out. The replacement piece, clearly marked MADE IN CHINA, consisted of three metal tubes 8 inches long, the float and the little rheostat for the gauge. We used to buy these units for $49.95. This one? $686.10. And you wonder how GM is “reinventing” itself?
Now let’s take a look at Ford, America’s newest darling. In the early 2000’s, while GM was spending a billion on “hydrogen cell technology”, Ford realized it was too expensive and not feasible, and people weren’t interested. Ford’s boss, Bill Ford, pulled out of the rush for hydrogen and made more demanded SUV’s, which is what people wanted. Later, when fuel prices rocked the industry, Ford switched over into hybrid technology and quickly brought it to market. Was Bill Ford some kind of genius? Probably not but he was a good listener. And when he asked the board what Ford’s best selling vehicle of all time was and they told him the Taurus, he asked where it was. When they responded it was discontinued for the Fusion, he said no and they brought it back. Today the new Taurus is selling like hotcakes. It looks cool too!
Speaking of Ford (soon to be the US #1 Auto Maker??), my landlords recently traded in their GM Mexico-made Avalanches for new USA-made F-150’s. I asked them why. Well, the Avalanche has very minimal front end ground clearance. Why have a 4x4 if you can’t go off road without bottoming out? That makes plain sense doesn’t it? OK, what else? Fords offer a simple keypad to unlock doors should the need arise. GM offers a satellite in space, and a 24 hour hotline to call. Which is more feasible, cost effective and convenient?? Might be small things but they cost GM billions....and two customers... for life.
So why am I now so pro Ford, right? Not really. Listen. When someone does it right we all should be watching. Ford’s market share is growing each month for the past 13 months, and they just posted a billion dollar profit without one dime from good ‘ol Uncle Sam. Their stock is at $8.40 vs GM's at .50-$1.00. They do it with the same labor force, the same unions, in the same country for the same market. They don’t spend money on gimmicks like “Bring it back if you don’t like it”. If you want to experience a Ford vehicle, why not RENT ONE FOR A DAY! Seems kinda like that multi-billion dollar satellite vs the simple keypad doesn’t it? Could it also be because their boss, Bill Ford, is a car guy and not a beancounter?
So what’s next? I suppose they’ll probably bring back their ever-famous slogan from the 70’s...
(with Taylor Swift singing)”Have you driven a Ford....late-ly?”
Jim & The Mutt (w/Resume in hand)
We’re Leaving?
Change of Plans?
As most of you know, we’ve been planning a move back to the Land of Fruits and Nuts for a couple of months now. Our move was to be back to our original building, which was still pre-wired and pre-plumbed for al of our equipment and airlines. The plan was simple, load up, say good-bye and leave. Well, it wasn’t that easy…
SO many of you have expressed your thoughts and well wishes we have decided to stick around for a while. Thanks to all of you for caring. Come on by and see us!!
Jim & The Mutt
Oct 12, 2009
I remember my first trip to Bowling Green back at the plant’s 10th Anniversary in 1991. My brother in law and I must’ve looked like a couple of complete goons as we entered the plant and saw all those Corvette bodies coming down the line from the paint shop. Our eyes were huge as Jerry Watts took nearly 6 hours to personally show us around. The employees are wearing Corvette hats and shirts, waving to us, asking those famous questions: “How y’all doin?” and “Where y’all from?”. Some of them even letting you come on the line and do their jobs with them. Corvettes were rocketing down the line and trucks loaded with Corvettes leaving the plant were a constant sight. I remember the grounds were perfectly manicured too. There was even a ball field for after-hour games and on the hill facing the Interstate, there was a planter made of flowers in the shape of the Chevy Bow Tie emblem. I think on that trip I became religious in a way. This was Heaven wasn’t it?
It was a dream I’ve had for a long time, to open a restaurant. Yeah, I know, restaurants top the list of bankrupt businesses but I, like so many others, thought I had a better idea. One that would work for sure!
My business plan was pretty awesome I thought. I wanted a nice shop with a showroom for sales, but most importantly, I wanted my own restaurant. My place would be right next to the Corvette Plant, across the street from the Museum. Do you know how many tourists come through here? And then of course there were the plant employees. Surely they would be regulars especially with the place all decorated in Corvette memorabilia I’ve acquired over the years. And don’t forget the hotels! After a hard days drive who wants fast food? How about a nice sit down Prime Rib? And there was I-65, and the locals, and, and, and…..
Mark Pierno was my friend, Pirate Sponsor and Life Member of the NCM. Over the years we became the best of friends and we used to chat about things here and there. After hearing of my plans, one day he offered something I couldn’t believe. Mark offered to build the building we needed, allow me 2 years to make a bank portfolio, then refinance the entire project and pay him back, with a little bit of interest. He also wanted to be a minor silent partner. At first I refrained from the idea, after all, what if I failed? Mark only smiled and said if I did the place like we had done Pirate Racing, it would be a “smashing” success. So, we bought the land, 2 acres right at the Corvette Plant gate, and I moved to Kentucky.
We were waiting for Spring to break ground when I got the call that Mark had died early that morning. He was 57. He’d had a hard but rewarding life. He was a decorated Viet Nam Vet and though I was too young to go to Nam, like him I was a specialist with the M-60 machine gun. We both had families of three children with overly gracious wives, and we both were the most patriotic SOB’s on the planet. We worked very hard for what we had and the most important of all our assets were our families and our integrity. After all, we both agreed a man’s promise is the most sacred thing he has. We truly believed that. The last time I saw Mark, Jim Jr and I were leaving his beautiful home on Lake St Clair. We were in the motorhome and as we turned the corner and made the left we could look across the water and see him. As usual he was standing there in his driveway pop tall and stiff at attention, the neighbors looking over wondering what in the world. I raised my right hand to my temple and he returned the salute in a way only a true military guy can appreciate. Jim Jr watched but never said a word. That was the last time I saw Mark Pierno…
By now you’ve all heard we are planning to return our business to the sunny desert of Southern California. Many here have asked why and sometimes I have to remember what I came here for originally was a bright, shiny fun place for visitors and locals alike to share a beer and a BowTie Burger. I dreamed of a happy place where GM employees could sit and BS and we could become part of their family. Well guess what? We did that! At least a few times a year anyway. :-))
I’ve always said most people go out on their worst day, I want to go out on one of my best ones. We’ve had a terrific year in 2009, despite the economy. We’ve enjoyed a huge following from the plant, and especially from the Corvette Club which we sponsor. But while business has been good, all the indicators have been the opposite. Without being a doom and gloomer, there comes a time when one must put dreams and wishes away and like it or not, accept reality.
There's nothing new at the top of GM but new nameplates. Beancounters are running the show which means everything goes downhill including quality, engineering, design, everything. Corvettes sales are down 82% over last year at this time. When we came here, the plant had about 980 production employees. Today there are less than 375 and rumors say there will be only 250+ in the very near future. GM is so broke they can’t afford to mow the lawn, let alone spend money on better equipment or a new C7 Corvette. The current Corvette has outlasted its time and there is nothing really new coming in the near future, at least for a couple of years. Layoffs and worse has brought morale to an alltime low. I sometimes remember back going through the plant of old, even getting on the line with the employees. You think that happens today?
When we arrived here, the Plant was putting out a new Corvette every 3 minutes, 18 an hour, 150 a day, and sometimes more. In 2007 they built 40,000+ Corvettes. Later this month that number will be 8 per hour, about 1/3 work time and 1/3 of the employees. What’s in the future for Corvette? You do the math…
Will there even be a new Corvette? Will Corvette stay in Bowling Green?
As usual, I've done my homework and I'll be posting my opinions in future blogs.
We’ve had a terrific run here in Bowling Green just the same. We’ve met many friends and some for life. I couldn’t have asked for any better reception from the plant, and they supported us the entire time we’ve been in business. We've learned Corvette inside and out, better than we ever did before, and I believe we've earned a PhD in GM and UAW politics.
But while I’ve been antagonizing these guys here, my buddies in California have been slacking, therefore, it’s time to go harass them for a while. Besides, in and around his school schedule, Jim Jr will be joining the new place in California as a partner, and maybe even giving me a break from this damn dog! After all, she likes him better anyway…:-))
I have been asked to retain my duties as BGACC sponsor and a new role in Joe Pruitt’s National Corvette Homecoming here in July. After all, the internets only a click away! We will also be returning for a variety of events beginning with our club Christmas party. I wonder if they’ll have BowTie Burgers?
The Beagle and I want to sincerely thank all of you who helped make Bowling Green our home away from home from these past 5 years. Now we'll go back and see how the "Land of Fruits and Nuts" is doing.
I heard they may have a going away party for us....the day after we leave! :-))
Made In America? NOT!
It was November 1993 when the last LT5 came down the line and I remember sending the folks at MerCruiser a fax, again thanking them for a job well done. We had our Thunder at Stillwater event just a month before and memories were fresh in my mind as I wondered what was going through these folk’s heads. Oh little did I know….
It was way back in the late 80’s when the LT5 project got the green light. Only top level management knew the program was slated for just a few years, but the possibility of either selling the engine to another manufacturer or extending the life cycle within GM was a possibility.
MerCruiser offered transfers into the LT5 project and President Bud Agner boasted “only the cream of the crop” would be accepted into this top level and high priority program. MerCruiser employees applied for the positions and the “LT5 Gang” was born. But it wasn’t all roses…
Other MerCruiser employees, including those not accepted, resented this elite group working behind closed doors in the newly formed restricted area. Hush hush was the word of the day and the MerCruiser employees were loyal to their duties. No one spoke or broke the code of silence with this not yet released secret engine program. The “regular” Merc employees felt shunned.
The camaraderie was enormous among the workmates as they worked and played together. The multi-corporate project shared top-level engineers and it was common to find them sharing a brew and even singing western songs (with British accent no less). Development turned into production and the LT5 Gang took extreme pride in their duties. Any one of them could reject an engine or component and like any good team they looked after each other.
When 1993 approached, the word was let out that the program was being shut down at the end of the production run but the LT5 Gang stayed loyal to the end. At the end of the program, the LT5 Gang got a surprise. Seems this “cream of the crop” would now lose their seniority and could only go back to regular duties at MerCruiser if there was an opening. Most all of them dropped all the way to entry level or close to it, losing many pay grades and benefits.
Well, last week the employees at Stillwater were told to expect some big new things at Stillwater. Seems MerCruiser's Fond du Lac plant in Wisconsin was having labor issues and had rejected the proposed union contract. MerCruiser countered with the decision to move its operations to Stillwater, after all, they were a non-union plant and had never caused any labor issues for the company.
Seeing the demise of their union, officials called for an emergency vote and accepted MerCruiser’s offer and conditions ($20 per hour vs Stillwater’s $17). MerCruiser accepted and then issued a statement the very same day informing Stillwater their days were numbered as they were now going to shut down the entire facility.
Business is a tough thing these days and it is very disturbing to see 400 very talented and loyal employees not only suffer an abrupt end to their careers, but the loss of their homes and lives as they knew it. Do you blame the union? The company? Who cares….
MerCruiser already builds their under 50hp engines in China. What’s next?
I wonder who’s going to buy cars, boats and other goods when all of America is unemployed? How many of our products do these third world countries buy from us? Think about where you spend your money folks. Don't be afraid to ask where it comes from. I always remember one guy who said, "It's hard to compete with a country that gives their workers a piece of bread and let's them live another day."
http://www.stwnewspress.com/archivesearch/local_story_247224435.html
http://www.stwnewspress.com/archivesearch/local_story_247120851.html
First Impressions
Well, not a word in response from our new leader Mr. Henderson. Guess he’s been too busy answering his “Tell Fritz” column on their website “GM Reinvention”. Looks like he’s been getting hit from all sides, consumers and employees too.
You know, somebody asked me the other day about this column and asked if I could request just one simple thing be done by GM to help itself, what would it be?
Well gang, if ‘ol Gramps is awatchin’ I know he’s going to smile. We used to sit and talk about life a lot. He went through the Depression (the 1929 one:-)). One thing he said always put him above the rest was he always knew the value of making that first impression. “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” How right he was.
In real estate they call it funny names like “curb appeal”. How your property looks from the street is the first impression of prospective buyers. As an employer of maybe 100 over the past 30 years, I’ve had many a young lad come asking for work. They came in all shapes and sizes. One guy came running up to the office all wet from sweat and apologized for being late. It seems he hopped the wrong bus and had to run over 2 miles in the desert heat to get here. No license means no insurance. We gave him a couple of bottles of water and a ride back to the bus stop.
Another hopeful showed up with his biker attire, jeans with rivets, huge waffle soled boots and of course the long keychain with a million keys in it. Don’t forget the big belt buckle. As he was telling me of his accomplishments all I kept seeing were greasy footprints on my carpet and scratches all over my customer’s fenders. No, he didn’t have a clue what he was portraying….
So now I look across the fence at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. If I didn’t know better I’d say it was closed down, done, gone, history. Do you know how many people travel I-65 on a daily…no, how about an hourly basis? How about thousands? Maybe 10,000 each and every hour? And no matter who they are or what their ages, we all know everybody loves the Corvettes.
Picture this: Bob and Mary Jones are taking the kids on vacation. They’ve got their Suburban packed with Tommy and Sally riding in the rear playing travel games. Bob tells the kids, “Hey guys, we’re coming up on the place that makes Corvettes.”
Anticipation rises as they get closer, “OK Kids, Look over here at the beautiful new Corvettes!!” Mom says. The kids press their noses against the glass, “I want a Red one!” says little Tommy, “I want Blue!!” says Sally. The plant comes into view and there’s silence.
Not a Corvette parked out front. The lawn is only half mowed with stands of weeds 3 and 4 feet tall in places. And this is the image, the “curb appeal”, the first (and maybe only) impression of the millions who travel by here on an annual basis?
Do you think folks see a rundown, unkept building with a GM sign on it and wonder if they build their cars with the same attention their yards get? They see an empty display rack and wonder if they’re closed for good?
Now I know what everybody’s thinking, money’s tight and all that. Bull. I believe that’s exactly what’s wrong with GM. They preach pride and quality but shouldn't they start with the front porch? Don’t you think the folks who have worked here for so many years remember that little planter on the side of the hill? The one with the flowers in the shape of a bowtie? Then there was one made to look like a Z06? We don’t remember when the grass was short and green from continued care rather than yellow and clumpy from only very infrequent thrashings? I do...
Well folks, I volunteer. I got a mower, a truck, all the other tools I need. So do others. I’ll even sign the legal department’s 20 page waiver if need be. Others will too. I’ll bet there’s a silent army of union and salary, interns and retirees, who would come volunteer to make their home, their workplace, their GM show the pride and commitment they have in their product.
And who could really lose if we started a best looking Plant contest? But someone would have to take some initiative, now wouldn’t they?
GM: Reinventing the Wheel?
It’s old news now but GM has emerged from the fastest and largest bankruptcy in history and now GM claims to be “reinventing” itself. In fact, not only does GM operate the website www.GMReinvention.com, but they offer a link to new CEO Fritz Henderson “Tell Fritz”. The only problem is they only allow only 255 characters. So, I’ve sent a link to our website inviting Mr Henderson to visit...
Dear Mr Henderson,
I have been in the GM vehicle service business for some 28 years now. I began at the dealer level but the pressure of up-selling and commission-based payroll took me to the independent arena rather quickly. After seeing the potential for much appreciated customer service, I opened my shop, raised our family, and am still in the business some 25 years later.
I have also had some inner dealings with GM including working with former General Manager Jim Perkins, PR Chief Bill O’Neill, and a host of other managers from Detroit and at the plant level. I have been a car guy all my life and have studied GM since the 70’s. In 2005, I’ve started a book on GM and I dabble in it from time to time. Ironically, the tentative title is “The Rise and Fall of GM: A Service Perspective”.
I have to be honest, when I heard your bankruptcy speech I was somewhat disappointed. Closing more plants, layoffs and importing more junk has been GM’s philosophy for the past 30 years and it hasn’t worked, not even close.
Now you are the boss and have a brand new board which I believe knows they are being watched for effectiveness. So are you. I believe in GM and want it to succeed, therefore, I’d like to offer some insight from the common folk much like I did with your predecessor, Mr. Wagoner.
First of all, this “reinvention” thing. Look up “invention”. Make up, fabricate, devise, concoct, lie, sham, fake, fiction, etc. In reality, you’re not reinventing anything. What you should be saying is you are going to get back to your roots. Your roots are in America. You need to be saying “We’re Coming Back but we need your help!” What you need is another Heartbeat…
Why not make a strong statement that has real teeth in it. Something everyone now realizes is important. Something we can all get behind to give you that push that GM so desperately needs. Something GM did right until a decade ago. Be American. Support AMERICA!!
Yes Fritz, I DO understand global economics. I understand plants in Mexico, Brazil, China and Korea are seemingly more profitable. But they aren’t if Americans refuse to buy those products. And we are...and it’s growing!
I also understand that your most popular ad campaigns of the past were about seeing the USA, and The Heartbeat of America. You were right. When that heartbeat went into arrest, so did the US. Why not bring it back and in a BIG way?
There’s some so-called Chevy billboard slogans going around on the internet. They say Chevy.com on them and I truly hope they are genuine, though something tells me otherwise. They say what I’m talking about. Like this:
“The Original American Idol: Corvette”
“It Came in 17 Colors, All of Them Red, White and Blue: 1957 Chevrolet”
And my personal favorite,
“Remember when your cup holder sat next to you in a poodle skirt?”
Now why not throw away the word “can’t” from your vocabulary. In fact, ban it completely. Put marketing into overdrive to not only conceive a new slogan, but a real change within GM. Go back to your roots. Get back to promoting a happy and prosperous America. “GM: America’s Car Company” for an example.
Open a closed plant. Invite the UAW to be a part of that reconditioning. Make it front page news that GM is OPENING plants here and no longer shutting them down. Offer loyalty dollars to former customers. Offer “First Car” and a real College Graduate discount. Go after the fleet market from Ford. I once asked why a company went to Ford from GM and they said there was no comparison, Ford had a much more competitive deal.
Speaking of fleets, have you been to the various utility companies to see how you can build exactly what they want and need. An all electric postal delivery vehicle? UPS? Meter readers all across the country?? City fleets all across the nation will flock to an electric fleet, especially one that charges itself with solar.
TV ads are important as are sponsorships, but nothing holds the trump power of our service folks overseas. How about a nice “Patriot Discount” for troops and their families. Or families who have lost their loved ones while serving our country. These are all home run ads for America and they will help you spread the word that GM is BACK and better than ever, and better yet, leading the way with new thinking.
Of course you’ll need to address the other important issues which have been so severely neglected. Dealer training and service for instance. Design needs a kick in the pants. Bring back a small truck. Solar and electrons are as important to marketing as they are to our environment. Replace sun roofs with solar panels for various purposes. The Volt will be important but what’s the next best? How about a modular Suburban and Tahoe with replacement seat and compartment modules, i.e., you might take a third seat out and replace it with drawers and compartments for work, yet be able to replace for full seating come game time?
I heard once that Zora Duntov wrote a letter to GM which got him hired. I’m just a common guy but I have a PhD in General Motors. If you want to open a "from the folks" department, I’m available.
The National Corvette Homecoming: A Rising Star!
The city of Bowling Green has once again become the host of an annual event which only it can host: The National Corvette Homecoming. Now some of you might say, “Hey I remember something about that long ago”, and you would be correct. In fact, the NCH has been around since 1980, when the Corvette Plant was just setting up shop. It seems several guys, including GM employee Tom Hill, got together and decided there should be a Corvette homecoming in Bowling Green every year and the NCH was born.
As with most organizations, there has been some strife through the years. Several groups of owners have come and gone but beginning in 2005, Bowling Green resident Joe Pruitt, along with his wonderful wife Vera, have taken this show from a dozen or so entrants to what we saw this past weekend.
Over 3,000 attended the National Corvette Homecoming aided by both the spectacular 75 degree weather, and the addition of steel bodied cars that couldn’t resist the chance to earn a trophy in the highly organized “drive thru” judging. From Monte Carlos to the new Camaro, all makes and models experienced the hospitality of the Corvette crowd. You’re probably asking yourself how plastic and steel get along so well?
After last year’s show, Joe and his team consisting of volunteers from the Bowling Green Assembly and Corvettes Limited Corvette Clubs had a meeting and discussed how to increase attendance, especially for the show and shine classes. Since the BG area has a huge population of cruise night cars, it was decided to open the show up to all. The result was a jump in attendance and a huge success for the show in general. But that’s not all Joe and Vera have done to improve and let the show evolve into what may soon become a major event on the Corvette calendar.
Most events have a theme. Some may be competition related with autocross or drag racing for instance. Others may be focused on venders and swap meet style collections. Joe has focused the NCH on being a car show with venders and a whole lot of fun thrown in.
For the past two years and for the foreseeable future, the NCH is held at the Sloan Convention center, which offers several nicer hotels and restaurants within walking distance. Friday is move in day for the ballroom venders, inside display vehicles and the newly introduced “Sans Pareil” (“without equal”) show class which is rising fast as yet another top caliber award for only the most pristine of original Corvettes. There are 25 Sans Pareil award winners to date.
Saturday kicks off the festivities with all day judging in a drive thru format. Seminars and How To clinics by the most noted of experts are available through the day and then the real fun begins. All who care to can participate in a police-escorted parade through historic old Bowling Green, to an ever-growing audience of locals. Hundreds of Corvettes equal one heck of a car show in motion!
Back at the Convention Center, the parking lot readies for the night’s entertainment. In this year’s case the “Blue Light Special”, a local high quality band which includes several of BG’s finest law enforcement personnel. Unlike many other stiff-lipped organizations, NCH attendees are encouraged to bring their coolers, kids, and the beverages of their choice, along with their beach chairs to enjoy a fantastic (and free) parking lot concert of pop and dance tunes. But beware of the Blue Light’s lead singers as they are known to enter the crowd and make potential stars of the unsuspecting at any time.
Sunday continues much of the same and concludes with the awards presentation at mid afternoon. Joe says he hopes to move the event up one day as soon as he can remedy a scheduling conflict for Thursday with the Convention Center.
In just four years, Joe and his team have nurtured a fledgling car show into an event for many within driving distance. Joe’s hope is to make the NCH an event on the national Corvette calendar such as Carlisle and Bloomington. “We have a growing group of folks who are bringing more and more of their friends each and every year” Pruitt says. “The sky’s the limit for the event. Where else but the birthplace of the Corvette to host a homecoming!!”
Next year’s plans are already being drafted and include the return of the highly acclaimed bi-annual “Vettetastic” program where up to 300 scale model Corvettes (5ftL x 2ft wide x 18inH) are purchased from the American Red Cross for painting and personalization, then later auctioned off for fundraising. Vettetastic is hosted by the South Central Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross provides disaster preparedness and response and health and safety education to residents of nearby counties, as well as assistance to families with members in the military. In 2008, the theme Corvette was a 1957. In 2010, the famed 1963 split window will be featured and sure to become a sought after auction item.
The SACC (Solid Axle Corvette Club) will also be holding their annual event at the NCH. Celebrities include Larry Richter, Max Brockhouse, Doc Holiday and the world famous solid axle authority Noland Adams.
While it’s true Kentucky’s normal weather is usually warm and moist, this year was beautiful with unseasonal 75 degree temps. Regardless, the Convention Center makes a terrific refuge from the heat and provides a fun and diverse shopping experience. With regards to next year’s plans Pruitt related, “We hope to bring as vendors in as we can, especially Corvette related ones, and we’re going to bring seminars and how-to clinics into the showroom. We’re also discussing thoughts of additional around town activities for our guests and their cars.”
We’re already looking forward to next years National Corvette Homecoming in beautiful Bowling Green, Kentucky. Why not mark your calendars for July 16-18, and enjoy not only the Pruitt’s hospitality, but the brand new expansion of the National Corvette Museum and newly reorganized Corvette Assembly Plant as well? For full information on the Homecoming, see their website at www.NationalCorvetteHomecoming.com.
JVD in BG
"Does The Name Make The Car?"
Since I can remember, nothing in automotive history has been as exciting as the constant rivalry between GM and Ford. All over the country that rivalry is found from race tracks to the back roads of Texas. So now GM is bankrupt and Ford isn’t. Could GM’s demise be linked to something as simple as their choice of new car names?
GM has always been infatuated with the French. Even the brand names of Cadillac and Chevrolet themselves owes their heritage to the land of grapes. Camaro (means friend or shrimp), Chevelle, Corvette, LeMans are well-knowns in the General’s lineup, Cadillac (French founder of Detroit) also owes much of its heritage to either the French or Spanish. Deville, Seville, Catera, and don’t forget those famous “ados”. Eldorado, Toronado, Silverado. But now the 100 year old General is “desperado”.
Is a car’s name essential to its success? Do proud, powerful names infer the same in the vehicle? When we put men into orbit Ford saw fit to honor the occasion with Galaxy and Comet. Later, Maverick, Falcon, Cobra, Torino, “Boss”, Ranchero and LTD were all powerful badges for Ford. GM had a few of their own, many derived from worldy namesakes. French terms such as Corvette, Camaro, Chevelle, and LeMans, not too mention racing affilations such as Grand Prix and Monte Carlo became wildly popular as were Spanish influenced names like El Camino and Eldorado. Of course there was also a name that captured the heart of America right out of the box. Stingray.
Of course since the beginning of the automobile, there have been letter or numeral designations beginning all the way back with Henry’s Model A. GT, GS, GTO, LTD, GTX, and of course the “SS”. Does a name make the car or is it the other way around?
Flash forward to today.
Ford brings back their best selling Taurus. Ford’s Lincoln chooses to follow its classic heritage with improved versions of Crown Victoria, Continental and Town Car, but Cadillac loses its namesakes to simple three letter badges. DTS, STS, SRX, CTS, ETC! Did losing names like Coup Deville and Fleetwood also lose GM its market? Sure it did.
Face it, names build loyalty and breed heritage. You look at best-sellers and you’ll find Malibu, Monte Carlo, Suburban and Silverado. I doubt you’ll find the Torrent, Outlook, Traverse, Acadia, LaCrosse and Enclave at the top of anyone’s wish list. What IS an Equinox anyway??
Vega anyone?
"The New GM??"
Last blog I offered that I would give GM the fix they needed in order to survive. My high school history teacher, Mr Berg, said you could always see the future if you look towards your past. So here goes, nice and simple, easy to understand. You ready GM?
We had this little Mexican café called Teresa’s and it had been there since like 1900. It was family staffed and the recipes came from real Mexico. The floors were missing tile, the ceiling drooped here and there, and most of the seats had tape covering the many years of wear and tear. Whether you went there at 6am or 8pm it was hard to find a seat. The place was packed because the service was good, the food excellent and their customers were loyal for generations.
So now GM is like a restaurant. But right from the bankruptcy announcement, GM also announced their new "menu" for supposed success. Close more plants. Layoff more workers. Import more products and build less here in the US. Am I plain dumb or just stupid? The same recipe invented by Roger Smith in the 80’s and still being served. How can relatively bright, educated people be so “vision-limited?”
GM has been closing plants since the 80’s. Gone from 850,000 employees in 1985 to less than 100,000 today….and STILL cutting. That dish has worked really well so far right? Keep that recipe and maybe you can be down to 50,000 before you close the doors for good. We’ve heard the same rhetoric for all those years too. “We’re becoming smaller so we can emerge much leaner and ready to compete in the global marketplace.”
BS. You’ve lost the recipes for success guys and you are destined for complete failure in a record short period of time unless you do the following:
Take what you do now, what your plans are for the future, and do the exact opposite. Is that simple enough advice?
“Close plants/lay off more people”:
Why don’t you just quit now? All you are doing is staving off the inevitable. History teaches that Ioccoca once faced many of the same challenges when Chrysler went bellyup. What did he do? Bring closed plants back online, make a big speal about it. Advertise the fact you are GM/AMERICAN MADE. If you have to charge more for a US built model, then DO IT! And tell the world you are doing it!!GM has some of the most talented car people in the world. The new Malibu and Camaro speak for themselves. Why not create that same excitement with the next or Chevelle or Firebird? Heck, now that the XLR has finally been canned, how much fun could we have re-designing an Eldorado? Want a niche car? Almost everyone I know had an El Camino at one time or another. WHOA! Thinking out of the box are we? Chrysler avoided demise by bringing the Ram and mini-vans to market in record time. How long has it been for the Camaro to finally be launched?
“We are going to import more small, fuel efficient cars from Korea and China”.
Yeah? And who is going to buy them? Remember a car called the Yugo? How about Geo? You’ve already got small fuel efficient cars, what you are really saying is the word “IMPORT”. Guess what GM, we ain’t gonna buy them! DO THE OPPOSITE! Design and implement an escalating and fair payscale and employ Americans to build durable, efficient vehicles which suit our needs.Take a good look at the market. Look at your competition. Look at the reputation of Mercedes, Lexus, Acura, Honda, Toyota, and BMW. Sure they offer fuel efficient models, but also quality, convenience and a reputation for service. Remember what Cadillac once stood for?
You advertise in patriotism, loyalty and the American way, but in reality, you do the opposite. We’re watching you GM and we really do want you to succeed. We want quality built cars including trucks, Corvettes, and Suburbans. We loved our Gran Prix and Park Avenues but you took them away and FOR WHAT?? A re-badged Daewoo “Aveo”?
I’ve owned a GM vehicle since 1976 (1971 El Camino) and no less than 30 since then. I want you to be here tomorrow GM. But you have to listen. The Corolla came here in 1966, the Civic in 1970, Camry 1976, Accord 1980. They have generations of loyal customers because they stick to the concept and IMPROVE UPON IT EACH AND EVERY YEAR. What the hell IS a Traverse or Equinox anyway?
You’re already at the bottom. You’ve sold off more than your heritage cars. Your employees are afraid of you. Your remaining dealers can’t trust a word you say nor make sense of your logic. Your public perception is complete disaray. Your customers are leaving in droves for new brands to be loyal to. They’ll never come back. If they don’t, you won’t!
Quit blaming your union, the government, your competition. Be the leader and don’t be afraid to lead. Keep your brand innovative but keep it loyal. And most importantly, we understand GM does business elsewhere and that’s fine, but when it comes to the US, bring it home, bring back pride and prosperity in the USA.
How about something completely new? How about listening to us, your customers, for a change?
Don’t keep doing the opposite….
GM Bankrupcy-It's Been Coming For 30 Years
I guess it’s inevitable that GM will declare bankruptcy now that they’ve alerted 1,100 of their “non-performing” dealers they will no longer be a GM dealer. It seems like just the other day that GM was telling, no demanding, that their dealers drop any and all other lines of vehicles and sell only GM. Many did what was asked of them, some did not. I guess those were the smart ones, huh? At least after GM pulls their products they’ll have something else to sell.
So why is bankruptcy the conclusion? Well, for one thing, every prospective buyer I’ve talked to is afraid to purchase from a company teetering on the brink. Sales are plummeting further each day. How long can THAT go on? Also, if I was a dealer and had a franchise that was terminated without cause, I’d have a nice big healthy lawsuit being filed as we speak. My guess is, most will. But will suing a bankrupt company will be fruitless?
But I have to wonder. How does eliminating a privately owned dealer help GM save money anyway? Dealers buy their own brochures and all other sales materials, they pay interest for their inventory until it sells, they honor GM’s warranty and provide customer service. Closing dealerships will lesson competition and create more distance traveled for service. I believe the true criteria for elimination will be the almighty dollar as always. Dealers chosen will include smaller Mom & Pop stores that actually do it right, do it honestly, and have a very loyal following.
But GM’s Wal-Mart mentality contends eliminating dealers “reflects the company's declining market share” and, it said, “ensures the viability of the 3,600 to 4,000 expected to remain.” More GM doubletalk. Does anyone think GM can “ensure” anything at this stage of the game, let alone a privately owned business’s profitability?
You would have thought that after all the mess they’ve gotten into, and after we told them it was coming, they’d listen?? Nope. 850,000 workers in the 80’s, now 50,000. Can you believe it? And of course they blame the unions. Last I checked the unions didn’t design failed head gaskets or paint that falls off. They didn’t engineer security systems that lock the steering wheel WHILE you drive. And I really don’t believe the union had a say to importing headlamps from Ford in Mexico that fade, fog and crack and cost $1,000 to replace.
Yes, the unions did share in the profits of good times long ago and reaped the rewards as did GM corporate. But today they live in fear of their job, with their credit destroyed with intermittent layoffs or worse, relocation to another depressed GM hometown. And there are lots of those. And today’s thinking is simple for GM, or so it would seem. Why pay union scale wages here when we can pay so much less across our borders? I’ll take it one more step:
Why are we supporting GM in this country if all it is, is a building in Detroit, and dealers selling us re-badged Daewoos??? (Can you say Aveo?)
GM has destroyed itself from within. Arrogant thinking abounds within those walls and it is known by most all who work there. They agree, GM’s demise was coming for many years and they knew it, saw it, talked about it, and joked about it. Not any more. Today they get “tapped” on the shoulder and asked to be escorted to the door. They are not allowed to touch a thing, not even their locker or desk drawer, but only walk to the doors they entered for 10, 15, 20 years or more, and be terminated. But this is simply the new arrogance of GM.
But what is “arrogance” anyway? There are many definitions but here’s my favorite:
Arrogance:
1. Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance.
2. Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others.
So is there maybe someone at GM who can actually think out of the box? Would anyone listen if they did? Are US automobiles going the way of the VCR and Camcorder? Stay Tuned for our next segment next week on “How to Save GM” where we will actually give them a real scenario to fix what is broken.
Corvette-A Basic in Life?
Much of the enjoyment of the Corvette hobby seems to be the fascination with numbers. We’ve all heard the guy boast his car was “one of only 2 with green polka dot paint and pink interior”. Yet another, if not THE MOST important number, seems to be the number of owners a car has had. Wouldn’t it interesting if we could take a 1963 Corvette and go back and meet each and every owner the car has had. Maybe we could make a graph of highs and lows for each of the car’s owners?
No doubt the ownership experience begins high on the charts, all the way up to number 10. In many cases the buying of a Corvette signifies an accomplishment. Graduation at the US Air Force academy for instance means many will visit the local Chevy dealer and pick up their dream rides. That dealer sells a ton of Corvettes every year…around graduation.
Now that the Corvette has been made much more user friendly to women and older folks, I’ve seen a lot of retired folks in Corvettes. These people are spoiled and don’t know it! Try and do a road trip in one of the older models where one tiny night bag is all you get! And if you’re in a convertible, you get a comb, toothbrush and might be able to stuff a change of clothes under the hood somewhere. Still there are others who happen along a few extra bucks, and simply catch the “fever”. I once remember my grandfather once say, “the greatest days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy one, and the day they sell it.” And so goes the Corvette ownership experience.
One of my bestest friends here in BG, a plant employee, recently sold his Corvette. When he called to tell me, I was somewhat amazed at his jubilant tone of voice!! He told me the story of how someone knew someone who was looking for a Corvette just like his, and after one guy called another, the prospective buyer met the prospective seller and the deal was done. Love at first sight! And the car wasn’t even advertised…
You know, despite a few of us who may still insist a Corvette is a basic necessity in life, it’s no secret that a Corvette is a luxury item bought with what some call “disposable income.” Personally I say this is false, a Corvette is a necessity in life which keeps him young and viral, sharp and with focus in life. A Corvette keeps a person’s priorities in line. After all, if the wife sees a drop in income, she’s gonna want the Vette gone. So, we keep bustin our butts so she keeps her “stuff” and we can keep our sacred hunk of plastic in the garage. Don’t they know we’ve really been Corvette nuts since birth??
Yes, it’s true. Recently a world acclaimed research facility known as Auto Masters of Bowling Green has completed a study of Corvette owners from all walks of life. What they found was astounding.
Corvette owners begin at developing at age 1 or 2. They begin to fondle objects, especially wildly colored plastic items and although they do not have to have wheels, it makes them scoot across the carpet better. This “scooting” motion is attributed to the supreme development of the shoulder and arm coordination found with big-league pitchers and even artists. You ask any one of them and they will vaguely remember their plastic cars.
Another keen sense comes from the verbalization of the Corvette. We’ve all seen and done it. No sooner than you give a kid a small toy car and you hear them saying “Vroom, vroooooom, vroooooooom!!!!” going faster with each thrust across the floor. This verbal exercise attributes to the superior development of the voice box, later to be used by singers, Bingo announcers, and military drill instructors. Some may argue that women must get their vocal abilities somewhere? It’s true. As little sisters they scream “Mommy! Jimmie’s doing that thing again!!”.
SO you see, the Corvette IS a basic building block and staple of life….
So less than a week since the sale of his prized, pristine, Corvette which had it’s own warm garage, its own shrine and its place of importance within the family, my buddy and I were talking and the subject turned to more stable times, a more stable economy…..and maybe a new C7….
So it goes with the life of a Corvette….AND its owner.
State of the National Corvette Museum
Taking advantage of both a break in the weather and the always fun visit from eldest daughter Erin, we decided a trip across the street to the NCM was in order. You might remember Erin selling T-shirts back at various Corvette events we hosted. She was at the Grand Opening at age 13. Well since then Erin has earned her law degree, passed the Pennsylvania BAR, and at age 28, is now Assistant Director of Admissions, St Johns School of Law, Queens, NY. Can you believe it?? I can’t...
We entered through the temporary entrance which is actually in the back of the NCM now. Oh, some of you had expressed dismay that the NCM was going to abandon all those personalized bricks which were at the old entrance. Don’t worry. The plans call for the main entrance to remain where it has always been so your bricks are very safe.
Entering through the side entrance into Corvette Blvd, it is amazing. The signage is awesome declaring Corvette Delivery, Library and Archives, Corvette Store and the new and cute Corvette Café. The massive convention seating area is empty but the store is full of new Corvette stuff from wall to far away wall. I’m going to guess the floor space has at least doubled from the old location.
The spotless delivery area was pretty quiet but our main quest was to see the Library and Archives which has always been an important issue with me and a lot of other folks. As we entered the huge lobby I was awestruck. One side of the huge room was adorned with a custom designed Corvette wallpaper by Dana Forester. The beautiful parquet wooden floor was donated by former NCM Board President Larry Martin. Four separate cubicles are ready for their new computers to provide access to the archives. On the other side sits 6-8 desks with trays, ready to provide seating for folks with their laptops. The NCM is WiFi ready.
Library Manager Betty Hardison came to greet us immediately. I first met Betty back in 1991 when she was at the tiny NCM Annex which is now a Mexican food place. Betty is the senior employee of the NCM and she has been the backbone of a long and sometimes difficult history of the place. But she has persevered and has been put in charge of what will surely become the main attraction of the museum itself; the documented history of Corvette.
Now everybody knows I have a lot of “stuff”. I don’t know where it came from sometimes but I have it, boxes, tubes, books, cabinets all filled with important Corvette “stuff”. I thought I had more “stuff” than anyone but I was very wrong…
We entered through the large door into the rear portion of the Library. It is incredible and nearly brought tears to my eyes. Standing in front of us were at least 11 skyscraping shelving units, at least 12-15 feet high and all electronic! A button opens the isle, moves the other shelves, turns on the lights, everything. VERY professional! And I thought I had a lot of stuff? Well, let me tell ya, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
A quick browse revealed archives of every single Corvette magazine you can think of. Corvette Fever, Corvette News, Vette, Quarterly, Vette Views, you name it, a full series of every single issue is at your fingertips. Build sheets, virtually every book ever written about Corvette, internal GM memos, sales brochures, and posters from every supplier who ever mentioned Corvette. Wow. Oh, and there’s at least one of every poster GM has ever done also. Very complete and VERY impressive!! And there is a mountain of "stuff" yet to go. Though Betty will be busy for many months to come, she's really got a terrific start and I am very jealous!
Betty must’ve noticed my awe and took me to a special drawer where she showed us the hand drawings from designers of the past of virtually every era of Corvette, many signed years before the actual production when (and if) they were implemented. Some were crayon drawings, others were pencil, all were invaluable examples of exactly what our museum stands for, the preservation and protection of the very heart of what Corvette is.
Upon leaving Betty also reassured me that the entire room was completely protected by a new state of the art fire protection system that not only puts out any fire immediately and completely, but does so without harming one single page within. And while it might cost $50,000 to re-charge if and when it is ever used, it’s well worth it to know what it has protected. I guess it may finally be time for me to start bringing out the "stuff" that I have the one and only of. Now that is is going to be so safe, I can't think of a better place for it.
We took a quick tour through and noticed Elfie has been reunited with Zora. Years ago when Zora passed, then Facilities Director Tim Reilly took it upon himself to design and construct the monument for them. The optical lighting provides a nighttime glimmering effect and Larry Martin created a wooden pedestal with Zora’s information engraved it it. He left it off to the side so Elfie could join Zora someday. And now she has. Several picture collages show them from beginning to the end, a moving and fitting tribute to such an important part of Corvette’s intimate past. It’s very peaceful there…and I am honored to have known them both. They’re home now…
Moving along, we visited the skydome and what jumps out at us in the middle of the room but the #75 Pirate Racing ZR-1 in perfect condition, in fact, maybe better than when we donated it. Bob Hellman’s done a remarkable job keeping the entire place spotless even though the entire building has or is being re-built and renovated. We followed the temporary tour route and found ourselves entering a totally new corridor of much needed display areas. I'd say there's room for another dozen or so exhibits. HOORAH!!
After making our usual deposit at the Corvette store, we decided to depart through the new Corvette Café which seats approximately 40-50 or so. Decorated with oldies style everything and with 45rpm records all around, the Café creates a great diner atmosphere. We took a menu and found their assortment of items very original and their prices were very reasonable. A fun place for future lunches for sure!!
That night I lay in bed thinking about how far the NCM has come from those days of long ago. I have that small picture of me standing next to the little sign which read “Future Home of the National Corvette Museum”. Later, with hard hat on during the construction, and then through the years since then. Who could have dreamed we would have something so nice and beautiful, so professionally done, so well laid out. It’s been a long hard journey filled with ups and downs but through it all, we’ve all done what we could, when we could, to make the museum better.
I think it’s about time for another little pat on the back for all the dedicated staff of the NCM, many who have been there for many years.
There are no doubt going to be future challenges for the museum, especially in today’s economic climate, but we’ll take those on when and if need be. Personally, I happen to believe there is a very bright future. Why?
Well, I couldn’t help but notice that the Corvette Store now sells flip flops….:-))
New Corvettes to cost $75,000!?
News from next door
After the longest production shutdown since 1983, the BG plant is once again back into production though at a much slower rate than ever before. Once at a rate of 18 per hour and some 150 a day, the line has been reconfigured for the second time in months in order to slow the build rate and to build with less people. Hundreds of tenured and experienced production workers have been laid off in the past months and more cuts are rumored in the making. Just 7 or 8 Corvettes per hour are coming off the line now and many are high profit, high demand Z06’s and ZR1’s.
You might remember hearing about the Hertz rental company having a special run of 500 units for their rental fleet. Well, that program must be successful as they have just announced another order for 500 more.
It has also been announced that the plant will again shut down at the end or March for at least one week. All is dependent on orders received, and inventory levels in the field. But as we enter the Corvette season, demand should go up, however, due to a nuclear powered US Mint printing dollars we don’t have, prices should also shoot up in the near future.
I once had a government professor who explained our money system in a unique but attention catching manner. He raised a dollar and asked what it was worth. All the regular answer came, 100 cents, etc. He smiled and said simply, this dollar is only worth one share of confidence in the United States of America. Today, that confidence is rapidly deteriorating.
We’ve all heard the rhetoric about getting us all stimulated, but I beg to differ with our so-called government experts, especially the ones who don’t pay their own taxes. You see, putting trillions into an already broke system only worsens it.
I once got a call from a friend who had found some very rare items in a warehouse. He asked me what they were worth. I asked how many he had. He again asked what they were worth. I told him their worth was dependent on the quantity of them, or at least the perceived quantity. When he finally told me they had uncovered a pallet of these items, I told him to bring one out at a time and they would be worth a fortune. They sold these items for $500 each and every week until a new manager stepped in, saw the large inventory and went on a binge to sell them. Their value plummeted to less than $50, then less yet, and all of those who had invested in them previously were mad as hornets. Sounds like Wall St today doesn’t it?
Well, the one thing I know is that the more dollars that go into our system the less they will be worth. And it’s already working. Today I went to my local market and bought some essentials. First of all were Beagle bisquits. Normally $1 for the past 2 years, now $1.50. Easy math, 50% increase. Tonic water was $50 cents, today .78cents. Easy math, 50+%. And finally, I bought a set of shocks from one of our parts sources. They were listed at $120 in the current catalogue. When I called to order them, they were $141 and I was told to hurry because another price increase was coming very soon.
So following the trend, the current Corvette is around $50,000. Easy math says $75,000 is right around the corner…
Jim
Well, the auctions are over and what did we see? A lot!
The Charlie Daniels Band did a song about selling one’s soul. That’s what I saw in the sale of the GM cars. Those cars were built by people who were car guys. Guys like Runkle, Heinricy, Moss, not to mention the stylists and engineers who aided and abetted. It was something back in those days of the 80’s and 90’s. And it makes you wonder how the ZR-1 was in the middle of most of it.
The Active Suspension program cost GM millions. I did an article on it years ago that brought a lot of turmoil. You see, GM spent so much on the active concept that when it was dropped just before production, it was almost like egg on the face to those who were involved. Or was it?
Active suspension has been perfected mostly by highly funded F1 teams. Its purpose is basically to counter the laws of physics. Lean, yaw, travel are all controlled hydraulically. Did it work? Sure. Those who drove those cars say they were incredible….until they didn’t work. As with any engineering exercise, problems were uncovered along the way. Sometimes the cars would begin to buck or “porpoise” violently for no reason. And there were other concerns, mainly, the high pressure pump and lines weighed 300lbs and they not only developed a lot of under hood heat, but they were highly susceptible to leaks. At 2,400 psi, it became such a problem that the system and car was scrapped. 21 Active cars found their way to be destroyed soon thereafter….or did they??
When I did my research and wrote the article on the Active program, I included a small statement in the very last paragraph. It went something like “while it is rumored that all of these special cars were destroyed, let’s just hope that someone had the vision to set one of this historic vehicles aside so that it may someday take it’s rightful place within the National Corvette Museum.”
Well, what I didn’t know at the time was GM was doing just that. They were restoring an Active car from front to back. When Dave Hill read my article he issued a termination order for whoever was found to have given me the information and ruined his surprise. It was years later that I told him it was all luck but he still doesn’t believe me…:-))
In any case, the Active car went for $136,000 which was half what it should have brought. But as John Heinricy described the car while it was on the block, I heard him say that this specific car had come there just as it was tested. I looked carefully and noticed the windshield was delaminating. If this was true, then the restored Active car is still somewhere hidden away. You think??
Please tell me there is still a car guy left at GM who hasn’t been forced to retire. Tell me there is someone still guarding the crown jewels at Motor City USA. Tell me there is still hope that there will be another time in the future when talents of genius will create another DR-1, a Snake Skinner, or an Active car. Tell me automotive rivalries of the future won’t be centered on the EPA sticker in the window….
Jim
What's the Value of Heritage?
it’s no secret that things are tight at GM and most other corporations right now. The big secret is how they got this way. Just last summer GM was crushing brand new stainless steel benches with forklifts. The employees pleaded with GM to allow them to be purchased, put to good use. The answer was that GM needed the “tax write off.” Now, just a few months later, GM threatens to close its doors and put a strangle hold on the US economy. Could no one see outside their office windows in downtown Detroit?
So I guess it should come as no secret that now in hard times, GM has decided to get rid of a huge portion of their old project cars from the past. At this year’s Barrett Jackson auction there will be a vast collection from GM’s inner chambers offered for public sale. They call it the “GM Heritage Collection”.
You know, I remember just a few years ago…OK, maybe 20 or so when GM was a completely different company. I remember when GM had creative people who dreamed, invented and made automotive history, all the while creating excitement and fame for GM. I remember those days and wonder if GM will be remembered for those contributions to automotive history, or as a company whose vision was obscured through the delaminated windshields of years gone by….
A long time ago, I went for a visit to my Dad’s work. In their main lobby were displays of years gone by, important icons which developed that company, gave it an identity, made its workforce proud to be a part of its history. It was the company’s heritage right there under glass and behind partitions. It was the weirdest looking aircraft I ever saw, and one that should never have been able to fly. But it did. It was called the Flying Wing and it was built by the Northrop Corporation way back in the 1940’s.
Jack Northrop was very much like many of those creative people at GM. He dreamed and tried new things and was years ahead of his time. He inspired his workers through his personal actions and beliefs. Jack’s first priority was to protect his workers and he had one of the most protected and fully funded retirement programs in the industry. He also didn’t ask the government for bailouts or loans. In fact, despite his advisor's wishes, Jack wouldn’t even take development money but rather, would absorb the huge costs of developing new technology rather than allow ignorant government officials to be involved and hinder progress. Because of this, Northrop was overlooked repeatedly by the Air Force and others were chosen who played the government game. Jack Northrop’s “Flying Wing” was determined to be too drastic from conventional design and ignored for future consideration.
Jack was on his death bed in the early 80’s when his executives arranged clearance for a special event. His sight, nearly gone, and laying on a hospital bed when the Northrop/Air Force team came into the room with a small covered tray. They put his hand under the cover and allowed him to feel the ever so secret contents. Rumor has it that a tear ran down Jack’s cheek and he faded off to sleep. Some 50 years after its original concept, Northrop Corporation was awarded one of the largest defense contracts in history. Based on the Flying Wing concept plane of some 50 years earlier, the B-2 “Spirit” bomber remains the most advanced bomber in the world today and has revolutionized even the most recent aircraft designs. I stood in that lobby and took it all in. What heritage!!
The Corvette has long been the icon for development within GM. I wonder when GM sells off its “heritage” how long it will take before all of those who made it great will be forgotten. Duntov and Cole, Earl and Mitchell. Perkins, McClellan, and all of those groups who invented and revolutionized. Those world records and the racing heritage. All the individuals who came together to bring the most exciting launch of a vehicle in the history of the automobile. The ZR-1 Corvette.
So GM is now cleaning out the garages of the past and rather than place these vehicles on display at various organizations representing the heritage which kept them as the leader for some 100 years, GM will sell them at public sale, to be lost forever. I looked over the list of treasures which included many Corvettes. Funny thing. I didn’t see any Allantes, Azteks, Equinox’s or Torrents on the list.
Last time I went to Detroit I took a day to visit the Henry Ford Museum, an experience I highly recommend to anyone. I was amazed at the wealth of exhibits and information of a car company so rich in American history. They’ve done a good job explaining and displaying the great heritage of the Ford. Made me proud. And when I began to make the next day’s agenda, I looked at the phone book but somehow I couldn’t find the General Motors Museum…
T’was just before Christmas and the news just came out,
Corvette will be shut down….a seven week drought.
Seems Pelosi and Reid and McConnell and Frank,
Were too busy loaning….than watching the banks.
And now that the country is thoroughly broke,
We’re beginning to realize….this isn’t a joke.
We watch more than ever the price at the pumps,
The lowest in years….but we’re still in the dumps.
Seems Fannie and Freddie were only the first,
Of many to come…that were run by the worst.
So this Christmas time we’ve all plenty to wonder,
Whether they’ll learn from all this….or continue to blunder.
And sometimes I wonder why we continue to watch,
the folks on the Hill….who don’t care if they botch,
And while all in the land can stay just two terms,
Some clowns in our Congress…stay forever like germs.
So this holiday time it won’t take a scholar,
You’ll be smarter than most… to watch every dollar,
And when it comes time to buy for your friends,
Remember our future most likely depends,
On whether you choose to look at the label,
And buy from the wares… of the American table,
‘Cause in case you’ve had your head in the sand,
You might not have noticed…our just and great land,
Has been sold out to others who haven’t a clue,
And left us Americans…. with much less to do,
But I see times a comin’ and you’d better pray,
The label we’re buying…says “U.S. of A.”
So look close to see where that car or trucks been,
Because each one must carry…the appropriate VIN.
Remember these times when you vote for the Hill,
Please protect our great country ….because no one else will.
I had just refinished remodeling our desert home and had made it a point to leave a nice spot on the living room wall for special picture. After searching high and low, I stumbled on a small rock house along a busy road with a small sign that said “Carl Bray, Painter of the Smoke Tree”. I glanced in the window and saw this beautiful painting of a desert scene which would go perfectly on my wall. I made a quick U-turn and returned to the tiny house and went in what was now the studio, or front room. The walls were adorned with magnificent paintings….with magnificent prices. A very nice older man came in from the back and asked if I saw anything I liked and I replied I liked them all but they were a little steep for my budget. The man looked outside and saw my Corvette in the driveway…
Several years went by and each time I went by the artist’s house I admired his newest painting which was always displayed in the center window. I finally decided it was time to fill the empty spot on my wall so I decided to go back and try and make a deal. I was in some old blue jeans so I jumped in the ol’ inherited 68 Pea Green Chevy. The old guy came out, we made some small talk, and he asked which one I liked. Looking to negotiate a deal, I told him once again I admired them all but they were a little out of my price range. He glanced out in the parking lot and saw the old Chevy. He asked which one was my favorite, I pointed it out and he proudly announced today was my lucky day. Everything was suddenly 50% off. That painting was gorgeous on my wall.
The moral to the story?
If you’re going to go to Congress to try and make a deal, take a Chevy, not the $36 million dollar G4 jet.
I used to come into need for a few extra bucks now and then when I was a kid. I realized I was going to have to answer some pretty obvious questions when I did. “Dad, could I have $5 please?” was always answered with “Well, that all depends. What do you need it for? Is this a loan or contribution? What are you going to do to pay it back?”I guess it’s not so funny that the Senators asked those very same questions of GM CEO Wagoner and he couldn’t answer them….and was told to come back when he could…
Two years ago when I was getting our offices up and ready for our grand re-opening here in Bowling Green, we needed to implement a phone system. After reviewing the many options, most of which were highly expensive toys (one costing some $587 PER MONTH!), we decided to purchase a 5 phone system from Circuit City online for $600. They arrived a short time later.
During the programming sequence, I noticed the master phone already had a name and in fact, had some 90 calls logged. I cleared the system but soon found the phone’s answering system did not operate as it was supposed to.
I phoned Circuit City and spoke with a “customer service” rep from New Delhi. We began one of those “did you try this” routines and I tried unsuccessfully to explain that I had been shipped a used phone and that it was defective. After what seemed an endless number of calls, explanations and finally a supervisor who spoke (almost) English, I was told that in order to return the phone I would have to take it to the local Circuit City store. I explained that I had purchased the phone online as the nearest store was 50 miles away. The supervisor explained that was my only option.
I went online and re-explained my problem in a “Contact us” email and finally received a call from an American! He stated that I could re-purchase another phone online, and return the defective one and gave me an address. I asked for a pickup tag for the return shipping, after all, why should I have to pay to return a defective/used unit that they had sent me. It wasn’t my fault was it? The answer was I could return the unit in person to a store or pay the return shipping.
I found the same phone at the local Office Depot and made the purchase there. I packaged up the old phone and sent it to Circuit City returns as prescribed on their website. I attached all receipts, etc and made copies, and attached a letter once again explaining the situation. In closing, I told them that after years of buying at Circuit City, I would never again set foot in one of their stores, and was going to discourage as many others as possible to do the same. Several weeks later I received the refund, less shipping, but they included a gift card for the amount of the shipping as if to say “We know you’ll be back”.
Well, today Circuit City announced closing 155 stores across the country. I’m sure their CEO took home a whopping “severance” pay too. Seems to be the American way…
Next??
Are you electioned out already?
I can’t believe we’ve had to listen to all this STUFF for two years now! I'm so sick and tired of hearing the phrase "What the American People want is..."
So here comes the big day…
You know, I can look back on presidential politics for quite a few years now. I remember my mom crying when the word hit that President Kennedy was killed. I remembered hating the people of Dallas over it like they were somehow involved. Funny thing how we tend to blame someone or groups of someones even though they have absolutely no involvement in the actual issue.
I remember by buddies going to Namn and being mad I couldn’t go with them. I always seemed to have had older friends. I always thought “Lady Bird” was a pretty funny name. I remember watching as our president resigned right there on TV. Wow…
The peanut farmer, Iran, then “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”. Funny what you remember from our presidents isn’t it? “I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMEN!”. Or better yet, “NAFTA will BRING jobs to America!”.
I guess what I admire most about a true leader is his integrity. Gramps always told me integrity was a lot like respect in some ways but not in others. He once said “I may not have been the most liked person in the corporation, but I was one of the most respected.” But integrity is different in one big way. Integrity is the sum of your whole life to date. The dictionary defines respect as:
Integrity comes from the Greek words 'integritas' and 'integra' meaning whole. It enters into any aspect of one's life. It's belief system without faltering no matter how dangerous, how unpopular the person makes themselves to others. It includes: sincerity, keeping one's word and agreements, honesty, truthfulness, ethics, fairness and justice, punctuality and never faltering for what one believes in. A quote regarding integrity is 'It is better to have an enemy who keeps his word, than a friend who does not.'
So how many Presidents have we seen in the last 50 years with integrity as defined above? Me thinks maybe two…
So after all the millions spent, lies told, unrealistic promises made, it really comes down to that ever so important word, integrity. When you stare at the ballot, I just hope America thinks of those words written above, and who they believe fits that definition with his actions, not his words or wishes, not rhetoric or statistics, but simply through his own actions documented in his past, tattooed in his character, and the sum of his whole life to date.
If you do that on this Election Day, you’ve proven why America is the great country that it is and why we fight to keep it what it is and can be.
Jim the Beagletender
With all the buzz about the economy lately, I’ll bet some of you are wondering about how that is effecting Corvette? Well, the answer is A LOT!!
From our shop, we can see all the trucks leaving the Assembly Plant with new Corvettes. Lately, the number of trucks has reduced noticeably. How much? Well, some days we don’t see any at all….
The Corvette is what we call a “disposable income” car. In other words, it’s a toy. Starting at $50,000 and going all the way up to $110,000, the Corvette is, and always has been, an icon depicting an accomplishment. Maybe a retirement, a promotion or just because you can finally afford one, the Corvette represents success. But luxuries such as a Corvette are becoming more and more difficult to justify.
Our economy is in complete disarray my friends, and we better start thinking about us rather than letting some crook on Wall St do it for us. You might remember a few of my columns from months ago regarding your choice to buy American. Well, what I said has unfortunately come true. Money spent for foreign products sends those dollars abroad. Send enough money out of the US and some day there won’t be any more. Guess what? We’re nearly out of dollars folks…
Your choice of where you spend your dollar is important. Several years ago I once again began shopping at my local market instead of Wal-Mart. Yes, I paid a bit more but I also saw some smiles on the employees that I haven’t seen at a Wal-Mart in years. And I knew I was supporting Americans.
In some cases you can’t buy American but in the case of an automobile, you have plenty of choices. But don’t think just because you go to your local GM dealer you are buying American. Not so. Many vehicles in today’s “American automaker” lineup are imported. Ask your sales rep or go online to investigate which models are being built elsewhere, putting more and more Americans out of work. IMPORTANT: Call GM, they will tell you where the vehicle was made.
I’m writing the CEO of GM, Rick Wagoner, a note saying just that. Bring back GM to America. Bring jobs back to troubled cities. Bring our dollars back to America….or we’ll all suffer the consequences.
In the meantime, all of GM is in cost saving mode. Lights have been turned off, temperatures adjusted, even grass allowed to get a bit longer, all in efforts to save where possible. This week the entire assembly process is being altered to allow fewer people to build fewer Corvettes more economically. Sales are off by a large margin and the future doesn’t look much better so efforts made today will be extremely beneficial later.
On the bright side, look for some terrific deals on Corvettes in the near future. Even the Z06 and the new ZR1 will be readily available as the demand drops and depositors are faced with decisions not foreseen some three years ago when they plopped down a few grand to be the first on the block with the “huffer” in their driveways. GM will finance their own products, reduce prices and offer cash incentives to move inventory. Were you thinking of buying a new car? Christmas should be a perfect time….:-))
Jim Van Dorn
NCM Lifetime Member #399 (Zora’s last signed certificate) http:www.AutoMastersofBG.com
Founding Sponsor, Bowling Green Assembly Corvette Club.
A Bunch of other stuff…:-))
To all of you who support the National Corvette Museum. Recently there has been some discussion on one of the Corvette internet lists with regards to various issues regarding the NCM, but specifically, that one of the hobby’s major groups was asked to remove their exhibit.
The National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) has been an important part of the Corvette hobby since its founding in 1959. As one of the largest clubs in the country, their role has been instrumental in promoting the use of Corvettes and assisting their member clubs in standardizing various uses of the Corvette for show and hobby.
I was not privy to the entire thread as it appeared on the VetteNet but I’m hoping that this was simply a misunderstanding with regards to removing one of the hobby’s mainstay organizations.
I’d like to tell you a story I began to write a long time ago about our NCM. Maybe this is an appropriate time to share it…
November 17, 2007
So I was getting on the freeway a week ago last Saturday morning and glanced over to the Corvette Museum. Unbelievably, there were three large equipment pieces just beginning to break the ground. I was stunned….!!
Well folks, they were breaking ground. But there was no governor, no senator, no mayor….not even a code enforcement officer to witness what should be one of the most glorious days in the museum’s history. It was just me…by accident.
So I sat there alone on the shoulder of the interstate for a few minutes sipping my morning coffee. No kidding, all of the following went through my head during those next few minutes sitting alongside I-65 as the big rigs passed by at speed, just feet away, making my Chevy dually shake violently.
I envisioned the new parking lot, the new building, the new look to what has been the Corvette’s icon for some 14 years now. I remembered back to that tiny little annex, the little “Coming Soon!” sign right down from where I sat now. Wow. I remembered the huge caravans and the thousands who filled the place that Labor Day in 1994…
I have been involved with the NCM since before the ground was broken, actually, since 1991 when a group of us came from California to see the plant. There was nothing more than a small sign that read “Future Home of the National Corvette Museum” on the site that now abounds with expansion and construction.
Since those days, much has gone on and not all good I might add. There has been some turmoil, a near shutdown and several riffs along the way.
Arguments and differences of opinions are common among groups, so it is no surprise that from time to time issues come up which develop sides competing against each other. In the case of the NCM I’d like to offer the following insight, from someone who has been very active, very involved, very vocal but most importantly, very protective of our NCM. That would be me.
Remember the very beginning of “America’s Corvette Museum” was a thought from several members of the NCRS. Through their determination, funds were raised, designs were drawn, and finally, the name was changed and construction began. From the moment of the grand opening, there was turmoil. Lawsuits and community jealousy, but more importantly, rising debt caused by a lack of on-site management, and a non-performing board were allowing our museum to slowly slide into a sink hole. When I received a phone call in November of 1996 from the staff that the NCM was faltering and couldn’t pay its bills, I hastily put a plan together that I hoped would help.
Although I had heard of a “search” committee for a new manager, no one had heard of any applicants nor much of a search. The NCM was being run from long distance by mostly out of state, part time managers. For the first time in my life I wrote a resume and submitted it to the “search committee” which was headed by Jim Minneker. My intent was to produce some activity to get an on-site manager in the place. In actuality, I had a life in California and the thought of closing down a wonderful business and relocating my very settled family were not in the cards, but few knew that. I also included a business plan which made several suggestions to produce revenue. Putting the Corvette Store online, raffling off Corvettes, improving the Delivery program, build sheets, etc were all included. But this would take time which we didn’t have.
The new Corvette C5 was scheduled to be unveiled at the LA and Detroit Auto Shows within a month and it came to me that if the NCM could also be involved, we could make it a fundraiser. Our request was granted and though I had suggested this as nothing more than a fundraiser, in actuality, many of us behind the scenes began a plan to unveil much more than the C5. We wanted a look at the NCM’s books to see why we were going broke. We formed a committee of some very dedicated and talented people and called it the “Enthusiast’s Committee” and called for a meeting. They’re mostly all still here and will read this, with the exception of that ‘ol cigar smokin’ annoying but loyal friend Doug Johnson. Mo, Dave, Dan, Rob, Brian, Mr A., Doug and myself (who’d I forget-I must be getting' old!)
In late December, just 2 weeks before the Jan 6th unveiling, it was announced that Wendell had been hired as the new Director. Wendell was a banker and businessman from the local community. My immediate thoughts were that this could be a much welcomed start of the “healing” process with the community. Wendell was well known and accomplished, a business man, and was very familiar with Bowling Green politics. Definately NOT one of my strong points. :-)) When Wendell was hired, we spoke for a long time on the phone…
When the old regime heard of our request for a meeting, it was immediately rejected. Of course we already knew why, as the books would show later. Excessive spending, waste and “consultant’s fees”, expense accounts, you name it. Wendell was discouraged from attending our meeting, a move which I readily cautioned against. After all, I had the local news and newspaper coming to the NCM the following day and one way or another the truth would come out and be made very public.
Wendell made the decision to attend the 6am meeting, which forced the attendance of the prior NCM manager. The meeting went very well and new doors were opened. The press was informed of the NCM’s new positive approach and full time management, and of the enthusiast community’s full time support. We put together a hastily prepared auction and raised some $30-$40k of much needed cash. Wendell even auctioned off his tie….Ernie still has it (maybe he’ll wear it to the new grand opening?).
The enthusiasts had come to the NCM’s rescue, and just in time. We heard afterwards that the NCM doors were to be closed just two days later…
In the past 12 years, Wendell has done what he was hired to do. He got the bills paid. In fact, he got them paid off in half the time and the NCM was rewarded for that in the form of discounts and cash. Employment has increased from a very stressed 12 or so, to over 70 (full and part time).
Fast forward to today:
Today the NCM Board has looked towards the future and began a complete renovation and expansion project which I have personally toured in detail. I’d say such a huge project in today’s economy is a brave one to say the least…but I’d also say it IS a much needed one. Yes folks, the NCM was never laid out to properly since day one and it truly does need a complete remodeling. A museum should tell a story, usually a chronological story of the subject. The NCM begins like this, if only briefly, before all is lost in a maze of parked cars, many of which are R8C new car deliveries. The NCM needs a public library and archives as an educational benefit to all.
Membership and marketing departments need space and resources to boost their fund raising and awareness programs. The R8C program needs to distance itself from day to day museum attendance and exhibits. The Hall of Fame deserves its own hall of honor and prestige. But most of all, the museum needs to tell the story of Corvette from the beginning and continue through its history and finally, into its future. In fact, the NCM’s own mission statement fits quite nicely:
“The mission of the National Corvette Museum is to celebrate the Corvette's invention, and preserve the legendary automobile's past, present, and future. The museum will serve as an educational and research model for all to enjoy.”
During my recent tour of the new construction, it is obvious that someone has done their homework. As I saw the attention to detail, the conveniently placed shipping windows, the Corvette Store warehouse just steps away, the massive halls and Hall of Fame, the Library, the convention center disguised as an old theater. Now if we can just pay for it.
Over the years I have had my spats with several of those within the NCM, from the top down but I want to make one thing very clear. Creative thinking and constructive criticisms are a must for health and success in the long term and in no way are meant to be harmful, quite the contrary.
What I see at today’s NCM is positive, creative and most necessary to achieve the original goals of the NCM’s founders.
With regards to all of the various organizations, i.e. NCRS, NCCC, Bloomington Gold, SCCA, and many, many more, I see a need for your representation, after all, your organizations have set the standards for the portions of the Corvette communities you represent. But remember we have the obligation to continue to improve our Museum so that it stays living, changing and appealing. This expansion and renovation offers us the opportunity to do the same with these exhibits. Expand them, renew them, make them as exciting as our new Museum will be. I can assure you, your exhibits will be welcomed. If not, please give me a call…:-))
Finally, as far as the “Motorsports Park” goes, I have suggested the following to Wil Cooksey, Board Chairman, several months ago. The Museum has no business going into the “motorsports” business. First of all the liability is tremendous. Second, no one at the NCM has the knowledge of what it takes to set up and manage such a facility. But that's my official statement. But should the NCM decide to build “The NCM Driving School”, it opens up a tremendous opportunities.
In conjunction with SCCA from the very start, the design of the facility would include a paddock area for ABS and anti-skid training, there would also be a skid pad (Lateral adhesion training), a long straightaway (aka ¼ mile) used for manual transmission shifting techniques (heel to toe, rpm matching, etc), trail and aggressive braking and finally, advanced road (course) driving. The NCM has already had one driving simulator donated by the state, others could be added to a classroom where all sorts of driver’s education could be taught. Habitual offenders, new teen drivers, the elderly could all benefit from such a facility and of course, grants and fees would become available from various state and community organizations as a result. GM too would benefit by using the facility and its staff to offer their Z06 and ZR1 Advanced Driving Classes in a conveniently located, centralized location. Celebrity Corvette drivers would make a large splash with volunteer visits throughout their racing seasons. In short, once again the NCM could be “an educational model for all to enjoy.” And remember:
Most insurance companies suspend all coverage when a vehicle is operated on a “race track”. However, the vehicle is fully covered when used in approved “driver’s educational training”.
And on those weekends when the facility is idle, the NCM might agree to rent the facility to various groups and organizations…for a small fee of course…
To say I am very pleased with the progress over the years is an understatement. The NCM staff should be commended for all of their efforts but there are also tremendous obstacles in the future. My hopes are the NCM continues to welcome those that have been such an important part of the history of Corvette and the board continues to listen to those it serves with open minds and creative thinking.
Jim Van Dorn
NCM Lifetime Member #399 (Zora’s last signed certificate) http:www.AutoMastersofBG.com
Founding Sponsor, Bowling Green Assembly Corvette Club.
A Bunch of other stuff…:-))
Well Gang,
You will see our response to Rick Wagoner coming very soon but I thought it was ironic that one of the major complaints regarding GM is there lack of originality. When I found this article I laughed out loud. Gee, let's see, we were Pirate Racing back in 1997? :-)
Unofficial Skull Mascot - Rolling Bones The Story Behind Corvette Racing's Unofficial Mascot
writer: Dr. Greg Johnson
photographer: Dr. Greg Johnson
Over the last few seasons, Corvette Racing fans have taken note of a mysterious skull incorporated into the livery of the screaming-yellow C6.Rs. While there's no shortage of theories regarding the skull and its origins, the real story behind this menacing mascot has remained shrouded in mystery. Until now.
It all started one morning at Le Mans in 2001. Gary Claudio, marketing manager for GM Racing, discovered a skull-and-crossbones insignia on the tongue of the shoes issued to team members. During a prerace pep talk, Gary used the pirate analogy to fire up the team.
"What do pirates do?" barked Gary.
"They take no prisoners!" was the resound-ing reply.
"And that's what we are going to do today. We're not taking prisoners. We're going to kick some ass and win the race!"
Corvette Racing went on to make history, capturing Chevy's first GTS-class win in the 24-hour race. To commemorate the victory, Claudio presented the Pratt & Miller team with a pirate flag (now proudly displayed in the team's cafeteria) that read, "To all the pirates at Pratt & Miller Engineering, congratulations on a job well done!" The skull legend was born.
Well not hardly guys. Sounds like "Dr Greg" needs to brush up on his Corvette trvia. Besides, if you guys want to be REAL Pirates, then you have to run the Championship leading Porsche off the track, make him lose his Championship by just one point, bang a Viper all the way down the hill at Road Atlanta, and of course, counterfeit as many pit and parking passes as you need for everyone to get a ringside seat. Now there are many other prereq's but this column is rated PG. :-))
See the entire story at: http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0810_unofficial_skull_mascot/index.html
Jim Van Dorn, “Pirate Racing since 1997”
Well Gang,
It never ceases to amaze me what Pirates can do :-). You might remember I wrote the Chairman of the Board of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, and offered a bit of insight from the common man perspective (see the letter in blog “Archives”). I have to tell you I was somewhat shocked when our website hit counter soared to over 22,000 in just 4 days, an all-time record by some 10,000! I received so many emails offering support and hope, and some with some terrific suggestions. I forwarded some of them to the appropriate parties. But there was a catch. If we heard nothing back, it would just be another reason for criticism of GM.
Well, though he has been making major public announcements regarding the latest plans for GM, hosting presidential candidates at GM headquarters etc., Mr. Wagoner found the time on late Sunday afternoon to respond to my letter.
________________________________________From: @gm.com [mailto:@gm.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 5:41 PM
To: jim@automastersofbg.com
Subject: Re: Dear Rick
Hi, Jim. Thanks for taking the time to write and offer your support. While my schedule is really packed these days, so no open slots for a meeting, I would be glad to review any ideas that you wish to email, and get them to the right person at GM to consider. Appreciate your interest, and wish you all the best.
Rick
I can’t help remember the words of my dear departed friend Doug Johnson.. “You never judge a man by the remarks of his critics alone, but by his peers as well.” By his response, you can tell this guy’s no dummy. He’s listening and a smart guy always listens. In addition, he opens the door for comments and suggestions, something every good manager is taught to do.
So this is where you all come in. I have always said I’m open to criticism as long as it is followed by suggestions to correct it. As you can see, I made some direct and indirect criticisms in my letter, so now it’s time for fixing rather than just complaining. But complaints are valid also as they offer an insight and you may not have a solution. So here’s what I am proposing.
This is your chance to bring your experiences (good and bad) as well as your suggestions for what you would like to see in the future of GM. Let’s break it down into 3 questions.
1) What was your worst experience with GM and/or its products.
2) What has been your best experience with GM and/or its products.
3) If you could give just one important suggestion to Rick Wagoner to better General Motors as a whole, or specifically, what would you suggest?
Now please remember this is not a joke. By offering us to return his email with specifics, he is inviting us to at least one more response, who knows, maybe more. Your appropriate comments and suggestions will be read by the Chairman of the largest automaker in the world, and then delegated to the appropriate departments within GM for study. As proven in his return email, he is listening. Might I suggest cordial, knowledgeable and professional responses will work best.
I will compile the issues with merit in a return email for Mr. Wagoner, along with my plan on how to improve the GM dealer service programs, thereby bringing customers back to GM from other brands, and finally, how can we bring jobs back to the USA.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Remember, you can just hit the “Ask Jim a Question” to return email or my personal email at vandornjim@aol.com.
Jim Van Dorn, “Chevy Proud”
270-842-0454
I was going to put in the next segment about electric cars and saving gas, but I read something this morning that really caught my eye.
I usually hate the liberal biased media. I especially hate commercials that run every 5 minutes. I’m so sick and tired of those Viagra and Cialas commercials, two people sitting in a bathtub on some hillside somewhere. And newspapers are just as bad. But when I moved here to Bowling Green I had a welcome surprise. Our local paper, the Daily News (http://www.BGDailyNews.com) was a refreshing change. Here they talk about kids and sports, about good things that people want to read about. So this morning I picked up last night’s paper and gave it a read in the ‘ol “library”. The paper had a small headline on page SIX. “GM May Cut More”. Imagine that. After all the advice I’ve been giving them and they didn’t listen to a word…:-)
Well it seems GM’s not doing to good here in the ‘ol US of A folks. According to the article, GM stock is at a 50 year all-time low. The articles says GM stock hasn’t been this low since 1954, the year current Board Chairman Rick Wagoner celebrated his very first birthday! But $10 in 1954 was a big hunk of change back then so in reality, todays value is maybe a nickel in those days. Imagine, what was once the largest automaker in the world, 50% of every car and truck sold in the US, with stock worth well over $100 per share, now at a mere $9.96 or a nickel, depending on how you look at it. Seems folks just aren’t buying their 8mpg Hummers no mo. Seems folks is still pissed off over their last 4 Cadillacs which all met an early grave with engine failures. Seems there’s lots of stuff folks just ain’t buyin no mo and The General is one of them. OK General, one more time (from one of my favorite lines in Top Gun). “Give me a call, I’ll fly with ya”.
OK, this letter's for real. I’m gonna send it email upon completion. I’ll let you know when I hear something back:-)
Rick Wagoner, Chairman of the Board
General Motors
Dear Rick,
I couldn’t help but read in today’s paper that your company is considering another round of layoffs, and I was wondering if I might ask a favor of you. You see, I’m right at your age and I’ve owned maybe 40-50 GM vehicles. I’ve operated an auto repair business, specializing in GM vehicles, for the past 25 years. I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and have some associations with, several of your top level employees including former Chevrolet General Manager, Jim Perkins, and others including your communications and public relations directors, three former Corvette chief engineers, and several of your Brand Managers and many of your racing staff. I’ve also raced (and won) at the professional levels proudly showing that big bow tie. I am (and always have been) what you might call a GM guy.
If I could just get this letter through your censor staff, I’d like to ask you to invite me to GM Headquarters and let me give a short presentation to some of your managers. Call it an amusement, an exercise, whatever you will but let me offer you a little different perspective from a common guy. Now please don’t confuse common with un-educated. In fact, I have insight and personal experiences that many on your board do not, and that is exactly the point of my request for a meeting. I will also promise the meeting will not be boring or repetitious. I’m a creative guy, in fact, I’ll even bring an idea for a new commercial series.
(Picture this guy with his little boy cruising down Main St USA in their Corvette convertible, waving to all the neighbors who happen to be doing a variety of things with their own GM vehicles….well, anyway, you’ll have to see it)
Before you toss this, please read on just a bit more.
I know you’re a busy and an important guy. After all, the stats I’ve seen say you make more than the top 9 Toyota executives combined. Congrats!! So what do you have to lose? And I know what you’re thinking, this would be the laughing stock of the industry, right? Have some nobody come up and spout off to all of the experts. Well, not really.
There are a lot of reasons for the troubles at GM and the others, but maybe, just maybe, a small voice from a regular guy might make a difference, maybe touch a nerve. Maybe we could re-live some of the past and also make a few points for the future. Maybe we could venture into taboo areas like service, ideas such as the Mr Goodwrench program, and how they affected your customers. How about marketing? Even with all of your experts, they seem to miss the mark quite regularly. I mean after all, the statistics do speak for themselves. “An American Revolution”? Why use an event which signifies Americans who revolted against cheap, unfair imports with the all-American image of Chevrolet? Can you see Dinah Shore singing “Sukiyaki”??
Remember, I promise I’m not a dummy when it comes to GM. I’ve done my homework, in fact, did I mention I’ve been writing a book about General Motors? Well, sort of. I doubt I’d ever publish it. It’s all about how GM rose to the top and then what happened next. But I am hoping for a somewhat happy ending.
You know, when I pitched the current C6R Corvette racing program to Dick Almond and the boys at the Tech Center back in ’95, I explained that if Corvette didn’t start competing with the world’s best, we would soon lose the icon of America’s Sportscar. You see, you guys can build the best damn car in the world, market it to your hearts content, throw all the fancy slogans at it you want to, but in reality, what you need to do is inspire your own people with pride. Americans like to be proud. Your employees want to be proud. You need to inspire them beginning at home, then to your dealerships, on to your customers and beyond. What you lost with your marketshare was brand loyalty, and all your experts can’t figure out how to get it back. The result? Well, you can see it as well as I. I care. I just hope you do too….
Rick, I wear a little lapel pin to very special events. When I left my home after some 23 years of marriage, it was one of the first things I grabbed on the way out. It was given to me by a guy who once put his job on the line to help save the Corvette from extinction. Jim Perkins gave me that pin for a special little event we did here in Bowling Green a long time ago. It was called “The Legend Lives”. That little pin has only two small words but they mean the world to me and to those who see it if ever so rarely. The pin reads…
”Chevy Proud”
How about if we begin to work on bringing that back?
So all I’m asking for is 30 minutes, OK, maybe 45.
Sincerely,
Jim Van Dorn, AKA “Mr Goodwrench”
I recently got an email from the Chevy “team” and they asked what I thought we could do to help with the energy crisis. What? They finally ask a regular guy what he thinks?? Man, I found myself thinking way back…:-)
It was the mid 70’s and I remember my years in the US Air Force mostly spent at Edwards AFB in the California desert. I made rank early, adapted to military life with enthusiasm and rose through the ranks. At some point, I was thoroughly investigated and received a special security clearance that would affect my life forever.
For my last year of service I was moved into a top secret area right next to NASA. Edwards is known as an AFSC or Air Force Systems Command base which means it is used primarily for testing and development of cool stuff like the space shuttle. We had the first of most everything like the F-16, the F-15, the B-1 and B-2 and yes, we had the task of the stealth aircraft which were being developed even back then. But we also had some really other cool stuff and even though I’m sworn to never reveal certain details even today, I’m going to at least step on that line and try not to step over it…:-)
I came to work through a series of gates every morning early and off to my left I saw something somewhat strange. It was a mid-60’s Corvette coupe, Marina blue and it was being driven by the NASA guys up and down the NASA corporate runway which was 8,000ft long. I didn’t have a clue what was going on until one day I happened to take an early lunch and during my lunchtime 2-3 mile jog, I happened to get pretty close to the Corvette as it went by on the runway. Whoooooooosssshhhhhh. Nothing but air and tire noise. What the %$#@? Well folks, what I had stumbled upon was a completely electric 1965 Corvette!! Aka, the “ElectroVette”!!
Unknown at the time, and still never revealed to the public was this secret electric Corvette program managed by GM Engineer Ken Baker. But why was this going on at NASA? Was GM and NASA working on development of an electric space vehicle?
So as the weeks went by I made it a habit of getting as close as possible to the test guys and after exchanging waves and hellos, I finally got up to the fence and talked with one of the guys. “What kind of mileage does THAT thing get?” I asked with a laugh. The guy told me that this was a test chassis camouflaged as a Corvette. All he would say was that it was “electric”. Well, I got a closer look one day and although I couldn’t see anything internal, the tires were different, no doubt solid to accommodate the load of a ton of batteries. So how could this car go all day until lunch, running at least 70mph, without a charge? Then continue in the afternoon?? IN the 70’s??
Remember the “portable phones” with huge batteries which lasted only a day? See your phone today? Look, NASA has had certain vehicles in space for over 30 years relying on solar generated electric power ONLY. You don’t think they could do that today with a car?
Well not until they find a way to tax every single kilovolt!
See the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
Back in the late 90’s GM put out the EV-1 for a public/private evaluation. This Saturn based two-seater was leased to “qualified” lessees who were carefully approved by GM. This all-electric car had a large paddle type plug in the front of the hood area and could be plugged in to a matching socket either at home or at a company provided parking area during work. One city put in a special parking area for EV-1’s and their meter reading fleet was adapted to EV-1’s with tremendous success. Most of the evaluators loved the car and when GM (for a variety of self proclaimed reasons) recalled every single EV-1 by 2003, the “lessees” revolted. This “American Revolution” caused hundreds of folks, including a California State Senator, to demand the cars be returned. There was no comment from GM, in fact, they sent out reposessors to take back the vehicles if people refused to return them. I remember going to the GM/Burbank Training Facility and spying the back parking lot with rows and rows of returned EV-1’s.
I thought it was also ironic that the cars were heavily scrutinized upon turn in, the lessees charged for any scratches or damage, then the vehicles were transported to several facilities where their internals were removed, and then they were crushed and completely destroyed. Some were allowed to be donated for educational facilities with one important modification; the entire propulsion system was removed leaving only a bare rolling shell.
In 1998 we formed a Corvette race team and one of our supporters happened to be an electronic genius who was building a variety of electrically propelled machines. I visited his facility and found an electric dragster, go-cart, and a strange one person vehicle with 2 wheels. The company, Planet Electric, supported its research with the sales of a specialty golf cart, one of which they provided to us as a pit car. This vehicle was very unique in several ways. One, it plugged right into a regular 110v receptacle for charging, and two, IT COULD ATTAIN SPEEDS OF OVER 50MPH!! It worked like the power key on a ZR-1 Corvette. If you didn’t have the seat belts fastened, it would only do 15mph. But when the seat belts were fastened, completing the switch, this things hauls butt!!
We still have the cart but Planet Electric disappeared after some mysterious circumstances. The owner had some heavy negotiations with Ford Motor company and very soon thereafter, Planet stopped taking any calls, then the phones were disconnected, then a rumor that an executive had stolen Planet’s patent pending technology and it has reappeared in China….
So I’m looking at this email from Chevy asking what we can do to curb the current energy crisis. They had 4 choices. The last one was “other”. I checked the box and simply typed in “build another electric car”.
But could it be that simple? And if it was, why haven’t they done it so very long ago?? Those questions are but a very few of the many that can be answered with one word... Oil.
Is there an answer to the current and future energy crisis? Of course there is! But it will take an “American Revolution”? Is there another “ElectroVette” on the horizon? See our next segment in a couple of weeks.
Jim & The BeagleRecently, we have been receiving our GM and AC Delco parts from our suppliers and many/most are now stamped “Made in China”, “Made in Brazil”, “Made in Canada” and of course “Made in Mexico”. Now we at Auto Masters pride ourselves in buying American whenever possible, but where is American production today???
Folks, Corporate America has sold us out. Your lawmakers, most all of them, have sold you out. Ever since Nixon made China a “favored trading partner” it’s been going downhill ever since. And don’t blame just the Republicans, our good ‘ol Bill Clinton signed NAFTA into place without so much as a blue dress in mind. NAFTA opened a ONE WAY boulevard from Mexico and Canada INTO the US, but return commerce is highly scrutinized.
I often wonder how the boards and top level execs can be so blind when the writing is on the wall. Enron did it, the mortgage companies do it, the savings and loans did it, and they all knew it was wrong when they did it! They sold us out folks; they sold us a bad barrel of apples. We buy GM and AC Delco parts which clearly state foreign production. Can someone please tell me where “Slovenia” is?? Whatever happened to “Made in USA”???
My brother in-law recently went to purchase a Chevy truck only to find out he had no choice of an American made unit. It’s true. Ever so quietly GM has slipped its production across the borders. Seems Chevy only builds ½ ton Crew cabs in Mexico….and Canada. Along with Avalanches, Escalades and a host of other models.
Well folks, there’s no magic in seeing the future, even I can do it. In 1985 GM employed over 800,000. As of 2004 stats (Business Week/Compustat), GM employed 324,000, a drop of -60%. During the same timeframe, Toyota’s employment rose by 231%. Today? Well, the numbers should scare you to death, because in reality….we are dying. That proud statement “Made in the USA” has faded to just a few products, a few proud people who are still trying to make a go of it amidst corporate abandonment in leiu of lower productions costs, then higher profits, thus higher year end bonuses for themselves. A government run by idiots who have allowed an unfair advantage to those who can be employed for a week for the price equivalent to a 6-pak of beer.
So where do all of us go when we get the pink slip from our employers? What happens to those corporations when none of us can afford their products that they’re building elsewhere? What happens to our government who has allowed and supported these unfair trading practices? Well, I would never have believed it but my history teacher was 100% right when he said “We learn history because it can tell us our future.”
Let’s see how good your history is:
In 1773, Britain's East India Company was sitting on large stocks of tea that it could not sell in England. It was on the verge of bankruptcy. In an effort to save it, the government passed the Tea Act of 1773, which gave the company the right to export its merchandise directly to the colonies without paying any of the regular taxes that were imposed on the colonial merchants. With these privileges, the company could undersell American merchants and monopolize the colonial tea trade.
The colonists responded by boycotting tea. Unlike earlier protests, this boycott mobilized large segments of the population. It also helped link the colonies together in a common experience of mass popular protest. The colonists made an effort to turn back these ships to England, however, after failing to turn back three ships in the Boston harbor, local patriots led by Sam Adams staged a spectacular drama. On the evening of December 16, 1773, three companies of fifty men each, masquerading as Mohawk Indians, passed through a tremendous crowd of spectators, went aboard the three ships, broke open the tea chests, and heaved them into the harbor. As the electrifying news of the Boston "tea party" spread, other seaports followed the example and staged similar acts of resistance of their own.
Of course, the rest of the story is that England attempted to punish the colonists who revolted against their rule. The colonists, calling themselves “Americans”, won their independence from England by fighting the American Revolution. Wait a minute…that sounds familiar.
Wait….what…where…who…..YES!!
”Chevrolet, an American Revolution”
Is it really that simple? If no one buys their imported products, what would they do? It’s as easy as 1, 2,3. Check the first digit of the VIN number.
1=USA 2=Canada 3=Mexico.
Tea anyone?Stay tuned next time (2 weeks) for more thoughts on buying back America
Jim & The BeagleThe NCM event season has kicked off with a bang when the annual C5/C6 Birthday Bash came to town April 24th. For the second consecutive year, these terrific folks have kicked off their fun filled weekend beginning with a party at Auto Master’s BBQ house. Home cooked smoked pork, BBQ chicken, steamed potatoes and salad help quench the appetites of these weary travelers, while several kegs of ale kept the whistles wet for any sing-a-long activities. Even Bowling Green’s own brewery was well represented with a gift of BG Brewing Company’s newest Brown Ale.
On the entertainment side were some of Bowling Green’s finest law enforcement types who have appropriately named their group “The Blue Light Special”. These guys are awesome and offered up some of the all time greatest tunes causing the dance floor to quickly become a favorite. All in all, these folks really know how to party and their event was very well organized for the entire weekend.
Recently, the ZR-1 and C4 folks made their annual trek and once again threw some meat on the grill here at the shop. While some chowed down, others made last minute adjustments to their chariots before the much anticipated trip to Beech Bend Dragstrip and though the weather wasn’t the best, most managed at least a couple of runs down the ¼ mile for bragging rights.
Later, dinner at the NCM was a very pleasant affair with catered chow and an auction of "one of a kind" items. Kudos to the NCM staff for a very nice evening.
On the shop scene, the shop has been operating at near capacity with a variety of vehicles. One, a 1986 Buick Grand National, had been stored for years in a barn after a death in the family. We gained a ton of knowledge finding out that radiator, brake booster and many other parts have been discontinued much like the ZR-1 is experiencing. Fortunately, some parts were found and obtained after several weeks of waiting. As you read on in my next blog, it seems GM has gone more and more “offshore” for parts sourcing, an alarming sign of times to come.
So, the summer season has officially begun though fuel costs will no doubt be a contributing factor on summer attendance here in Bowling Green. In the meantime, we are working in conjunction with the Bowling Green Assembly Corvette Club on our second annual “Drive and Shine” car and bike show. While last year was organized as a small invitation only show (approx 60 vehicles attended) so we could work out any bugs on a smaller basis, this year’s event will be open to the public and we will be looking to fill the show area with up to 300 vehicles. The event is scheduled to include a car show, raffle drawings and an auction for very nice items (last year’s items included a complete Corsa exhaust system, complete shocks upgrades and other very unique and valuable items). New this year being considered is a “Funkhana”. You might remember when autocrossing was termed “gymkhana”? Well, we add another dimension to that where drivers and passenger’s alike participate in a variety of fun tasks for a timed score using their car (or bike). Tennis ball tosses, water balloon carries, and precision parking techniques with everyone watching and shouting encouragement, make for a tremendously amusing change to the usually quiet and subdued setting of a car show. This year’s event is also scheduled to benefit several local charities and non-profits including our own NCM and the local chapter of the Humane Society. Why not maximize your investment potential and use your gas dollars for a maximum amount of fun return. Add the date of September 27th to your calendar for sure and please email us with any questions or suggestions. We look forward to seeing you here!
Jim & The BeagleLots going on here in Corvette land folks. Wil Cooksey is officially retired and replaced with Paul Graham whom I met personally during Sunday dinner. Paul seems very nice and in fact, personally introduced himself to everyone in our group. We’re looking forward to a long positive relationship with Paul even though GM’s new policy seems to dictate a plant manager’s tenure to be 3-5 years, rather than the longer terms previous.
The new “427” version of the Z07 has hit the line and is being produced at several a day. Nicknamed the “Wil Cooksey Edition”, Wil will sign each and every one of them under the console cover, starting with number 002. Wil received #001 and has no thoughts of getting rid of it! I asked around and no one seems to know exactly how many cars Wil has but it’s a lot!
Construction of the NCM expansion is coming right along with sewer lines in and more grading to be done. I sure think the NCM missed one heck of a chance to have a terrific ground breaking last winter when construction started, but what the heck do I know?
Indy 500 Pace cars were all decaled up and sent off a couple weeks ago. We watched at least 2 complete truckfulls heading north. There are no more two tone paints coming from Bowling Green so all the silver on the pace cars is decal. Better grab those spares while you can guys!!
C5/C6 Bash is coming to town and once again the Auto Masters BBQ will be open for a night of food and fun. Last year we served 100 or so and this year will be slightly more. Get your tickets from the C5/C6 Registry and enjoy live music and some of the best Kentucky cooking in the south. Band will be a group of local law enforcement personnel, of course with a name that fits: “The Blue Light Special”. Rumor has it there might even be a heavy breathing surprise appearance from the plant after the sun goes down of course….
Spring is coming and the shop is full of a full spectrum of Corvettes. From ’77 to present were getting them ready for a summer of fun. If you’ve got a laundry list or just want a few service items tended to, just give us a call and we’ll have you ready to rock and roll this season. Now back to oujr regularly scheduled race program….
We titled our proposal “Winning with Chevrolet” and soon after we began to put it together, we received the news that we had been approved for a 30 minute presentation with the Who’s Who of GM Racing….
I had always been the guy with a camera and much to Rippie’s chagrin, I had plenty of file footage from the various rants and experiments we had done across the country. We had done everything from ¼ mile tests to a full blown top out run across the California desert. At one event, I was drivin the Weekndr (Black Widow #8) approaching 180mph while Doug sat over in the passenger seat reading the ECM data….all the while neither of us realized we didn’t even have on a seat belt!! He got even later though with a 165mph run down the freeway during 2pm afternoon traffic….this time he drove….and ended up passing 4 cars on the emergency parking shoulder…:-)
So I went to work on this video presentation and made an outline to handout. When the time finally arrived, the three of us met at a hotel in Detroit and decided to make some last minute changes. I remember it well, it was 10 o’clock the night before our big meeting and we had to go buy a printer for my laptop so we could re-print the newest and juiciest version of our pitch.
The day finally arrived and it was a nice cold November snowy day in Detroit. We found ourselves at the GM Tech Center, the Corvette war room. It had plain paper all over the walls, obviously attempting to cover the secret C5 schematics. We found the meeting room complete with VCR and one by one the participants came in as if on cue. There was Dave Hill (Chief Corvette Engineer), Herb Fishel (head of GM’s Race Shop), Jim Minneker and John Heinricy (GM racers extraordinaire), and Doug Fehan (current C6R Team Mgr) and several others who slip my mind at the moment. In total there were about 14 or 15 of us when they called the meeting to order.
Suddenly the speakerphone came to life with the voice of Chevrolet’s Brand Manager, Dick Almond. Dick was the guy with the money. Without him, no one went anywhere…
I turned on the video which took about 4 minutes. I used those precious moments to gather my nerve and composure. What in the heck was I doing here? A guy from the middle of the desert sitting with the very top in all of GM racing??? The video did its job, it caught their attention and interest. Dave Hill sat there next to that phone with a legal yellow pad in front of him taking notes like nobody’s business. The video ended and everyone looked at me. Well….here’s another fine mess Rippie’s got me into….and so it began.
I don’t remember the exact wording but it’s safe to say that I drilled home the part about everybody racing EXCEPT for Corvette. How could Corvette continue to claim it was “America’s sports car” when the Viper was ruling the world’s race tracks? How could Corvette continue to claim itself a world class performer when it never even came out to challenge it’s own domestic competition let alone the world’s best?
Now as I became fully engulfed with patriotism, somewhere along the way I had set my outline down on the table and was going full blown ad lib and getting braver and braver. I challenged them, “Do you know how embarrassing it is that GM hasn’t put a Corvette on the track for nearly 30 years, and even then it was out the back door?” And so on until ever so slight head nods led me to believe that there was truly some interest in our plan. Especially since we had been in there well over double our time allotment already. I asked if there were any questions and the room fell silent. I looked directly at Hill and said, “Well Mr Hill, you’ve got several pages of notes there, why don’t we start with you?”
Soon there were conversations going on all around the room, when, how, who, etc. We offered camouflaged testing of new C5’s, maybe in C4 bodies, race track testing and all the while Rippie was busy talking the nuts and bolts of LeMans where we had just competed. Nearly an hour past our time limit, all of the sudden Fishel stood up and made the announcement that he was ready to offer “resources” to this new program. Almond began talking budgets and so on until finally someone remembered we “outsiders” were in the room. They thanked us and gave us the ‘ol “don’t call us, we’ll call you” routine. We got into the hallway and Rippie have me a big sloppy farmboy hug.
It was several months later when Rippie called me with the news that GM had decided to go racing….just not with us. They went to their buddies over at Pratt & Miller and laid a huge sum of money on them to get things started. At Sebring in 1998 they debuted the very first C5R’s that would bring Corvette back to world class status around the world. In retrospect, I guess they made the right decision especially since they’ve won everything in sight since.
Well, there it is, the whole story as I remember it. Ready for those darts to be thrown at it. Shoot, I would too….after all, who would think just a couple of wannabe racers could help steer the largest automaker in the world to jump out and field factory teams from Chevrolet, Pontiac and Cadillac in venues all over the world. Just who woulda thunk it?Or is it all just a nice fairy tail….:-))
As for Rippie and myself? Well, when a group of us “enthusiasts” decided we might again try our hand at racing, Rippie wouldn’t be left behind. We used his shop as our headquarters and began building yet another project….this time from the very archives of GM...it's just that they didn't know it. Somehow we had found one of the very first prototype ZR-1’s known to exist. And it was available…sort of....
Stay tuned for part 3- If GM won’t go with us, we’ll go by ourselves!
Jim & The BeagleNow that all the hullabaloo is over with the car shows in Detroit and L.A., it’s safe to say the ZR1 was the hit the world was waiting for. Once again the nameplate drew the interest of the world’s media, and one buyer at the Barrett Jackson auction who paid a cool million for ZR1 #001. Proceeds from that auction will go towards a children’s charity in the Detroit area.
The ZR1 evolved from many years of racing, research and development. In fact, few know how GM and Corvette entered the racing world, at least in modern times. It all started back in 1992 when I met a guy named Doug Rippie….
“Rip” had made his way into the motorsports arena through mostly the SCCA ranks. In 1992 when I met him, he was running a two car team of Corvettes in World Challenge with Bill Cooper and R.K. Smith doing the driving. His beautiful Dieline sponsored Corvettes were nearly always running at the top until SCCA handicapped the Corvettes so badly Doug left the series.
As racers would have it, Rippie found himself searching for a new race venue when he was contracted to build a wildly modified Corvette for a customer. The car had lots of carbon fiber, vents and louvers, and a highly modified ZR-1 LT5 powerplant putting 650 hp to the ground. While under construction, Doug received a call from all the way over to France from the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ) who is the sanctioning body of much of European motorsports including one of the most prestigious races in the world, the 24 Hrs of LeMans.
Once the icon of world class performance, the 24 hrs had lost the interest of most American makes due to its distance and expense to compete. After all, most every performance manufacturer in the world spent millions upon millions on their FIA programs and had been doing so for years. American makes had long ago pulled from the FIA back in the early 60’s when US manufacturers pulled nearly all their support leaving only a few privateers to compete in the highly acclaimed race.
So Rippie began a dialogue with the FIA. He asked for a few variances including a larger engine, bodywork and being excused from the pre-qualifying sessions months earlier before the actual race. This would save a ton of dollars Rippie didn’t have. FIA agreed.
We soon put the word out to the Corvette community that they could join our group, as members for a small cost. Hundreds of memberships were sold and for the race, each and every member had their name across the back of that beautiful car.
Well, the rest of the Rippie venture was told partially in the pages of Corvette Fever magazine who I wrote for at the time. I travelled with the team to France, was Doug’s roommate, and not only covered the Rippie saga in person, but ended up with helping some British guy (Graham Behan) and a gynecologist from Hawaii (Milton Kim) rebuild an engine during the actual race after overheating problems caused major problems during just the first few laps.
During those grueling hours during the race, I realized how much had gone into the program to prepare, but even then, oversights had caused the failure which sidelined the car for nearly the entire race. Why did Rippie do it? Why did he step out with little more than a few small sponsors and a very large credit card and attempt such a feat? It was something I couldn’t get a hold of and put in print in that magazine article. As I would soon learn…racers just race. It’s in their blood. Rippie spent more than I’m allowed to say on that venture to compete against the world’s best but was it all in vain? Hardly….
Back in the states, Rippie called me and asked about what I thought of the LeMans race. I told him I had never seen the likes of it anywhere. There were more dollars spent on most of those garages than our entire effort combined! The Vipers had plush carpeting on their floors of their garages, stereos blaring American music and beautiful posters adorned the walls! There was wine and crackers, French water, giveaways and trinkets that would make even the keenest collector drool. Us? Well, we sat on cases of Redline oil and everybody made a big deal when I brought out a bag of 1,000,000th Corvette lapel pins, left over from ’92, and began handing them to the little kids. They were like pigeons and bread crumbs…
Then the idea came to us. What did all of these beautiful cars and their teams have in common? Dodge was a newcomer to the FIA but their Vipers were loved and admired, and they were winning!! How? They had their manufacturer’s support of course!! Just like Mercedes, Ferrari, BMW and the so many others.
The Vipers were proving to the world that they were a world class automobile…..something GM had not done outside the tracks of NASCAR for many, many years. The Viper was stealing Corvette’s heritage….
….the Viper was becoming “America’s sports car”.It was 1995 and that very idea that blossomed into a proposal to GM from Doug, myself and Jeff Nowicki, a hopeful driver whose father worked at GM. Would GM understand and allow the Viper to become America’s favorite? That’s the question we asked the hierarchy of GM and surprisingly, they granted us a 30 minute interview….
Stay tuned to next segment. Will three diehard Corvette enthusiasts make a difference with the largest automaker in the world??
Hi folks, it’s that time of year again! Wow…how this year has flown by. Let’s get to it. First of all the kids.
Erin is an admissions counselor at St Johns Univ in Queens NY. She graduated law school, passed the bar and landed a job in no time. She gets to travel all over the country doing recruiting stuff and she really enjoys her job.
Kristen is a senior at Boston College this year and is doing wonderfully. She’s an RA and she takes care of her 65 girls in her spare time :-)) Not a word yet about after graduation, nor any boyfriends on her agenda.
Jim Jr is now in Panama City FL with his 5 year significant other Leanne who is studying to get her RN certification. She graduated from UCLA and after finding a huge slowdown in California’s RN programs, she elected to finish her program in FL. They’re about 500 miles from me and Jr comes up periodically to help us with the workload.
All of the kids were able to come to Turkey Day and we also invited a few others from around here who were lonely for the day. True to Kentucky form we deep fried 2 birds, smoked 2 pork roasts, and had a Honey Baked ham on the side. I was able to nurse the leftovers for at least 2 weeks!
The Beagle and I are doing fine. The shop is coming around very nicely and we are very involved with the Corvette Plant and it’s new Corvette Club. The GM employees are very happy to have a nice GM shop in town so we do their fleet as well as their personal cars. In fact, we recently installed a new engine into a Suburban for (soon to retire plant manager) Wil Cooksey.
Kentucky has proven itself to be quite a different place since we’ve settled in. Here a handshake goes a long way and a man’s word really means something. The business climate is totally different than Calif where it’s hostile. I opened the business checking account in about 10 minutes with no hassles whatsoever. It’s about a 1 month process if not more in Calif. No fictitious statements, this or that, just sign up and be done with it. You can walk into the courthouse and take care of most anything in a few minutes as well and believe it or not, the employees actually SMILE!!
Of course there’s the other side of the picture. There’s a lot of guys named “Buck” or “Hunter”, and most of the girls have two names, Bobbi Jo, Mary Alice, etc. The local Sheriff is named “Peanuts” and he’s been the Sheriff for 20 years or more. Other cute names in my growing list of friends include Perky, Dixie, Ethan, Faith and of course, PeeWee.
But there’s also something else going on here that is truly amazing. When you read the paper, the local stuff is the front page. Headlines are about renovating downtown, winners of academic contests and what’s going on in the community. There’s always an article about someone who does for others and has for decades. Police reports and weather are page two. The Iraq war and political circus are near the back of the section. Oh, and when you turn to sports, the front page is all about the local schools. National stuff again goes to the rear. Kinda nice to see such focus on the kids and their achievements. Oh and by the way, Bowling Green was just listed in the top 500 best places to live. The entire state also lowers flags to half mast each time a Kentucky soldier loses his life in the wars. Unfortunately…that’s been happening at an alarming rate this year….
As far as “stuff”, we finally got the ‘ol Corvette here from California. With a few exceptions she came through the nearly 3 years of storage pretty well. Even though 150 or so Corvettes roll off the assembly line each day, the ‘ol ZR-1 still gets a ton of stares. We recently participated in the city’s Christmas Parade. The Corvette Plant had a float and all of us escorted it through downtown. I happened to be in the very back of the line alongside a nice Z06 and some young kid shouted out, “Look Daddy! They put the fastest ones in the back!!” The Christmas parade by the way is a major happening in a town like Bowling Green. There were thousands of folks lining the streets of historic downtown.
We lost a few friends again this year, they will be missed.We hope all of you have a truly good year and before you know it, it’ll be time for another Christmas letter!!
Jim & The BeagleWell Gang,
It’s almost that time again. You know, that dreary, cold, miserable time of year when you have to put the Z away and suffer for another winter waiting months to hear those 32 valves sing once again in the Spring. But you may want to re-think this winter!
For only the second time, Auto Masters is offering their “Winter Special” for your Corvette. What do we do? Well…just about anything you need or want for your car.
What we are offering is a chance to enjoy substantial savings on a variety of services we offer, over the winter, and we store your pride and joy at our climate controlled facility right next door until you are ready for pick up next Spring. We are discounting our entire line of winter services 10% including major repairs which can equate to substantial savings.
We offer complete LT5 engine service including complete overhauls, our 480hp Street Skinner top end porting package, valve job and valve seal installation for the 90 models, full OEM and custom colored powder coating, and about anything else you might be thinking about for your LT5 engine. (One winter we performed 4 concurrent Street Skinner conversions)
In addition, we also perform all routine maintenance and repairs from gear changes, clutch replacements, trim and weatherstrip replacements, tune ups and suspension upgrades. Our FX3 shock upgrade changes your early FX3 system to the much improved 95 MY system. Combine that with our lowering procedure where we do not cut anything so the car can be put back to stock at any time, and your car is ready for the street or track with much improved performance. Our lowering technique lowers the front and rear approx 2 inches without sacrificing ride comfort.
Our cars are getting on with age and maybe it’s time for some attention?? We have had cars shipped in with their laundry lists from all over the country already from Oregon to Florida. We are now centrally located on I-65 (Exit 28) in Kentucky right next to the Corvette Assembly Plant and National Corvette Museum. Why not ship your car to us and then enjoy a real treat when you arrive here later for pick up. We are only 60 minutes from Nashville (BNA) airport and of course we offer to pick you up, personally. We then offer a private tour of both the Museum and the Assembly Plant. Other area attractions include Opryland Hotel, the Grand ‘Ol Opry Theater, the famous Wild Horse Saloon and the Elvis Presley estate at Graceland. From the feedback we’ve received, these trips to Bowling Green have been memorable to say the least.
We’re not one of the new guys on the block either. We’ve been involved with the service and enhancements to the ZR-1 and LT5 engines since their introduction. Our trustworthy and competent reputation has been earned over some 18 years of servicing the ZR-1. We use only the best and still use members of the original LT5 Gang at MerCruiser for some of our services. Their cylinder head machining and porting are the best in the business and every part of your induction system is checked thoroughly on their state-of-the-art flow bench.
Why not turn your winter down time into productive time for your Corvette? Give us a call to discuss your needs. If you know someone who might be interested, please forward this to them so that they might take advantage of our Winter special.
We are very centrally located to the mid-west and east coast. We’re just 500 miles from Detroit and 750 from central Florida. We have a transport company who we trust and use frequently and in fact, our own trailers have a delivery schedule which might fit a pickup in your area. Call us for coordination.
Jim Van DornIt seems like so long ago. Arriving at work at 4:30am, jumping into the pilot’s seat behind my desk….so much going on it was hard figuring out where to start. A quick call to Jerry Watts at the Corvette Plant and I’m off!! That’s it, BLAST OFF!! And the day was started….
It was hectic but interesting back in the 90’s. Early 90’s the new ZR-1 Club was launching, I took over our local Corvette Club, plans for west coast events were being made….not to mention kids, wife, business, friends….not necessarily in that order. They came to me asking me to be the president of out Corvette club, something far from top on my list. But their persistence paid off, I took the reins in 91 or so. First was the weeding out of things. Hidden charges, bills being paid by the club for the benefit of the old regime. Next was housecleaning, we had some 40 members on the roster but showed only 17 that had actually paid their dues. To say the least, it was a “cleansing” experience. I couldn’t help but notice our newsletter looked more like an elementary school cafeteria menu than anything of substance. I offered to help our Editor who had been in place forever. In fact, I looked at our club expenses and found the majority of our payables were to the Editor and his newsletter. The other bills were for storage of the club’s “stuff”. With computers being pretty new at the time, I went to a new place called Egghead Software and found a graphics program called Corel Draw. I bought it. Never seeming to have enough time to do the things I had to do, I did the obvious…..and volunteered to help do the newsletter. How else would I force myself to learn this new program? After all….I don’t even type for real…
The first year turned into two and I found our club was prospering both in numbers and in funds as well. A little fiscal management went a long way especially now that all members were paying their dues, happily so, with an active club and things to do. In 1992, we helped Chevrolet roll out the 40th Anniversary Edition in Palm Springs. I asked the event coordinator if we could sell our “club” t-shirts. He said “sure. I immediately designed a really neat copy of the Chevy 40th logo and incorporated that into a new Palm Springs Corvette Club shirt. It was a huge hit…so big that the event apparel guy who had the “official” shirt, found himself lonely and the lines at our booth 10 deep at times. We sold out of our shirts, and I left the club to the capable (I thought) VP for the following year….with over $6,000 in the bank.
I continued learning this new graphics software now in upgraded versions, with all else I had to do, and in 1995, found myself back at the helm of our local club….that was again broke and in disarray. I had the Legend Lives event, a trip to LeMans, founding the new Grand Sport Registry, and a helpful trip to the NCM (National Corvette Museum), the unveiling of a new Corvette, and of course local club duties….and it was time for a break. Again, I left our club to the board at election time…..and never went back. Yep, for whatever reason, I never went to another meeting, not one event….nothing. I don’t know why really…
So when two guys came over from the plant and told me they were from the new Assembly Plant Corvette club, I nearly ran away and hid. But there was something about these guys….one so quiet, the other pretty funny and the opposite. You know, sorta like Mutt & Jeff….the Odd Couple…..:-)))) They were looking for a sponsor. Oh great, here I was barely able to pay the bills after being open for only a couple of months, moving expenses, set up costs, new furniture, not to mention the Beagle’s food bill… But then again, I moved here to be close to the place I had come to love…the place where hospitality was like I’d never experienced before, a place where a handshake is far more common than a contract. Yep, I had chosen Bowling Green for my second life so what was I waiting for? “Ok guys but I don’t have a lot of money” I said. “We only need a banner” said the quiet one.
I believe it’s the first time in Corvette’s history that the Corvette Assembly plant has had a Corvette club. You have to understand, these folks work hard for their money and a Corvette isn’t exactly a practical vehicle. Yet lately, a welcome trend has started here in Bowling Green and more and more employees are going out and buying what they build each and every day. And it doesn’t have to be a new one, they’re buying all years. Why? Who cares but I truly believe they are beginning to experience what all of us Corvette geeks have known for some time. One magazine got it right when they called it “Corvette Fever”. Imagine how well these cars are being built when the ones that build them, may also own one. Maybe that’s why their motto is “We Build Your Dream, In Bowling Green.”
So I find myself and the new Auto Masters as their founding sponsor….and I’m having a big time! These folks are terrific and I can’t believe their involvement. It really makes things much more fun and easier to accomplish when so many jump in and help. That’s the way it was this past weekend. The club’s first event, a little show and shine car show, organized so the local club could meet the other local clubs and enthusiasts as well. In my opinion, it was a smashing success. The club made a few much needed bucks, it was a great turnout, but most of all, we all had perfect weather and a great day of fun.
I want to personally thank the many sponsors who donated their products and support that made this event so successful. You will be receiving a little something from the club in a short time. Thanks again, from all of us.
So what does the sponsor of the world’s only Corvette Plant Corvette Club you might ask? Well, for one thing, you get to listen a lot. Yep, it’s their club and they’re doing a very fine job getting started, now with over 150 members! The other thing we get to do is save money. After all, money saved is better than money spent. So, when the club needed nametags, we got estimates up to $9 each. Now being a racer, you learn how to improvise. So, when Tim Reilly (former NCM Facility Manager) mentioned he had an engraving machine…well, I couldn’t help it. I remembered all those times when Chevy would send those little lapel pins they had made for various things, the one millionth, the 40th, the C5, everything. So….I found out the email address of the head of Chevy marketing and WHALAH!! We soon found a large bag of new lapel pins in the mail. Thanks again Mr. Charles.
So, with the help of Mike, Kathy, Lou, Mary, Jim Jr, Tim, and others, we are about done with the first BGACC name tags. Cost? Under $2 each and I think they’re beautiful. Look for yours soon. Oh, and if you spot a little abnormality on yours, just remember, these are ONE OF A KIND, HANDMADE, CUSTOM ORIGINALS, NO TWO ARE ALIKE, etc., etc., etc :-))) In other words, we learned a lot on these and if yours isn’t as perfect as you’d like, please just let us know and we’ll be happy to make you another one.
You don’t have to be a Corvette employee to join the club. They have an Honorary membership aimed at Corvette enthusiasts all over the world. In fact, one of the club’s goals is to have a member from each state, and as many from countries all over the world as possible. After all, Corvette IS a “world class sports car”. For an application, please click on the link below and download the pdf. You’ll receive the official plant newsletter email full of updates and inside info, email and other contacts for employees, and of course, a southern welcome any time you are coming to Bowling Green. Heck, they’ve even been known to host a private or group tour or two around the place!! You'll also wear the club's very unique and American made T-shirt, "We Build Your Dream, In Bowling Green!"
Don’t miss the next issue (Winter) of Corvette Quarterly magazine where Plant Manger Wil Cooksey receives his club shirt and certificate.
Ahhh….it’s great to be back folks. It really is…..
Join the Corvette Assembly Plant’s New Club!!I just watched the sorriest excuse for a race I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, it was the series I once held so dear and competed in so successfully. Fortunately, we had the foresight to leave it when it was respected….
Yes, SCCA’s World Challenge GT series used to be a respected and competitive series. Back in the 1999-2000 seasons there were a number of teams who could win each and every race. There was an Acura NSX (Cunningham), a Viper (Archer), a Porsche (Kitchak & Biscup), the Audi (Galatti), and our Corvettes (Cooper). There was also a BMW thrown in there somewhere. It was a really good field separated by just the type of track we were at as far as any advantage to the competitor. Mitch Wright, SCCA’s top dog, and his capable staff (less one Bob Anderson and Allan Wilson) had to be commended for their management skills.
But in 2001, we found ourselves at the mercy of a nearly corrupt series. As with the previous seasons, the AWD Audi TURBO was in command and unlike the rest of us who found ourselves on the SCCA dyno every so often, they had no provisions for the AWD cars. We upheld our promise to GM management. When we found ourselves incapable of winning, we told them and they pulled out their limited support. That happened in 2001.
Well, once the long awaited arrival of the Speed Channel takeover of Speedvision came, the SCCA series found themselves at the rear of the food line. In fact, today the SCCA Touring and GT series find themselves airing either directly opposite Sunday’s NASCAR time zone, or at 2-3am in between Thighmaster commercials. That’s where the series is today, and that brings me to what an incredible cluster I saw just the other night….
It was Road Atlanta and the series has found itself once again in the midst of a manufacturer’s power struggle. The always prevalent Porsche’s have a series leading contender in their ride and the Cadillac team, backed by millions in factory funds (boy that would have been nice!) are leading for the manufacturer’s title. The race starts, two cars stall on the standing start and the field is splattered all across the front straight. What does SCCA do? They let the race continue for a half a lap of course! Now, with the track completely covered with wrecked cars, broken shards of carbon fiber, tires and wheels, etc., SCCA allows the field to come right down the front straight under the yellow, dodge the carnage, and continue on!! But it gets much better…. or worse.
Finally the field gets the green and immediately they find rain spots on their windshields. World Challenge GT, unlike NASCAR, can run under rain and they in fact have wipers and rain tires just for the occasion. But suddenly the rain comes down in buckets and what’s left of the field finds itself still under green even though the track is under water in many spots!! Finally, the field comes to the S’s and EVERY SINGLE CAR slides off the track. The leader, the next car etc. Cars are hitting each other and the wall and the Speed cameraman is so excited he can’t even hold the camera steady! Why are the Corvettes even there??? Is there some prize in running mid-pack at all these races?
Finally, the yellow flag comes out, with only three green laps since the start and more than half the field is now wrecked and totaled race cars. Now Fellows, a factory car added to ensure more points for the Caddy’s manufacturer’s points, decides to come in and get rain tires under the yellow. All this time mind you, the cars are still lapping the track dodging corner workers and tow trucks who have to actually move to keep from being hit by race cars. Where’s the red flag you might ask? Oh, it’s coming!!
So Fellows drops to the rear of the field, having performed a legal but time consuming pit stop for wet tires, and then finally, with only 3 laps of green but nearing the hour of time allotted for an entire race, SCCA decides to bring the field into the pits for a red flag. You remember what a red flag is right? It’s where you are stopped somewhere safe on the track and parked, engine off, AND NOT ABLE TO PERFORM ANY WORK OR REPAIRS ON YOUR RACE CAR WHATSOEVER. Ahh…not so with SCCA on this day. They decide to let EVERYONE not only change their tires, but MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS THEY WANT TO ALSO!!! But there’s more….
Randy Pobst, the series leading driver who had been in first place all day, pits for tires, but his pit is back midway down pit lane. The cars pass him, and line up behind the pace car at pit end. When Pobst decides he’s ready to return to the field, THEY ALLOW HIM TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE FIELD!!???????
Now you should have been there at 3:45am watching me laugh out loud as this was all going on. Watching Scotty B walking around his wrecked Viper I was always thinking how good he said he was in the rain. Lou Gilliotti’s Vette was destroyed in the first 10 seconds of the race when he hit the parked no-starter, Gaples car was about 2 feet shorter because the rear was backed into a wall somewhere along the way.
SCCA has a long and proven history of manipulating not only a race or two, but an entire series as well. Several times we were allowed to do things that were strictly FORBIDDEN by the rules, but told ahead of time we would not be checked after the race. This was one of the issues which caused the death of their Trans Am series. No credibility? No TV? No series!
Now remember, SCCA handicaps each and every brand of car in the series in order to make them “equal” on the track. That’s at least what they say. They do this in a variety of ways including tire size, weight, air restrictors. In reality, they continually handicap competitors throughout the year based on their performance. IN other words, they handicap the competitor for being good, having best prepared, having the best strategy, etc. The best teams get penalized not rewarded for their efforts. One more time, why are the Corvettes there again???
Now the announcers, Creamer and Schroeder are announcing this so-called race but in reality, they tape their shows long afterwards and that way they can correct all their mistakes. They too seem to be dumbfounded by each segment of SCCA’s decision making process….or lack thereof. They continue to make their own observations and continue to ask each other why, how these things are allowed to happen. You and everyone else guys….
BUT HERE COMES THE BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE SHOW!Creamer announces a break and I sat dumbfounded as the TV screen switches to A DIET INFOMMERCIAL!!! Yes folks, right in the middle of the biggest joke of a racing series ever to hold a race, here comes a woman selling some diet pill with a host of the ugliest people I’ve ever seen in one place attesting to its effectiveness. OK, you’re saying why is he being so critical, right? I’M NOT KIDDING is the sad part. They were ugly….and so was this race.
SCCA World Challenge racing has lost all credibility with its current management as far as racing goes, but they do put on one heck of a sitcom!
Back to the fiasco (after the minutes of diet pill commercials), the race is finally given the go ahead again, this time by adding 10 minutes of race time. Why ten minutes? Who knows. The race criteria is clearly stated in the rule book to be either the completion of so many laps (called a distance race) or by so many minutes, 60 minutes max (called a timed race). So where did the 10 minutes come from? Maybe it was the cotton candy guy….next to the clown's tent....
In any case, Fellows, who had brilliantly come in legally for wet tires, now has been passed in the pits by everyone who are given a free (illegal) pass to swap tires under red, and remain in their incoming track position. But being the driver he is, the green is waved once again and he comes through the field (all 6 or 7 who were left) and ends up behind Pobst. Pobst lengthened his lead to several seconds when all of the sudden, for reasons unknown, Fellows seems to close dramatically. Then, the other Cadillac comes rushing up behind Fellows and its not long before they both pass Pobst, who has much fresher tires, and they leave him behind. It struck me as strange that all of the sudden, within just one portion of one lap, the Caddies got so fast. But in any case, Fellows took the lead, followed by his teammate (Alchenbach?) and like any good teammate, Fellows let him by because he is a fill in driver and not in the points standings. A great day for Cadillac but a very sorry day for SCCA and what’s left of the World Challenge series.
I feel for the competitors who must trust SCCA management officials and a Race Steward (head umpire) to run a safe and legal race according to their published rules but at Road Atlanta in 2007, they were let down. They were put in harm’s way, along with the volunteers, cleanup personnel, and track officials who do terrific job with what they have to work with. Their equipment was allowed to be demolished, once again the Porsche was given every opportunity to win no matter what, and with only a couple of weeks in between to repair and regroup, the series travels clear across the country to compete in a series managed by incompetence, governed by dishonest handicapping, and a seeming inability to read or comprehend the existing rule book.
As announcer Greg Creamer said at the end of the fiasco: “This one will go straight from the track to the courtroom.”
Just be glad it’s not the hospital….
Diet pills anyone? Jim Van DornWell folks, For several months now there have been top level discussions of moving Corvette production to the newest GM plant in Spring Hill TN. Many of you do not how close that decision was to being made prior to the recent UAW/GM negotiations.
Most of you don’t know this but the BG plant is actually very antiquated when compared to most all others in GM. In fact, the paint department that paints the two flagships of the GM fleet, the Corvette and Cadillac XLR, are painted in the oldest, most ancient paint department in all of GM. Then how do those cars keep being rated as the top in all of the US in quality by several of the various survey companies? Well, you can thank the many dedicated employees who work 2 shifts in the paint department in order to stay up in quality and numbers with the single shift of assemblers. The 7 miles of conveyer system is also as old and in need of major upgrades.
When GM moved to BG in 1981, the city (who actually owns the land and property) gave GM a 30 year lease for just $1. That lease is up 2011. Also, the plant was given very reduced utilities and a sales tax exempt status from the city and state as well. The plan was that GM would bring many new jobs to the area….a fact that never occurred. You see, the plant hires mainly UAW members from its own ranks, many from closed plants elsewhere. Therefore, very few, maybe as little as 2% of the workforce at the BG plant is from the local community. This has been a sore spot between the plant and the city of Bowling Green for some time.
But the plant, along with the NCM have been the mainstay of tourism dollars for many years and in fact, are the top attractions in all of Kentucky. Over 22 million in tourism dollars were spent here in the city just last year and most of that attributed to the two Corvette attractions. Combine that with nearly 1200 employees living in the area and one can easily understand that even though the plant doesn’t hire many from the community, its economic impact is considerable and in fact, vital to the Bowling Green area.
Spring Hill on the other hand, has brought much in the form of economic growth to its area and has the newest of all paint lines and although the plant was built for Saturn production, shortfalls in sales has left millions (yes I said MILLIONS) of square feet of state of the art production facility unoccupied. If left to the GM beancounters, the Corvette would move to TN by the 2011 model year.
It wouldn’t take long to understand how such a move would affect the area, especially our own museum. The NCM has become dependent on its Corvette delivery program whose most popular feature is the plant tour. No plant? No tour. And although the program also includes a tour of the NCM and a full orientation of the vehicle, which is worth the price of the option all by itself, the plant tours are by far the biggest hit (and the NCM staff is to be highly commended for that).
We must also point out that the BG plant is a sore spot for GM as it is the only GM plant ANYWHERE that produces cars in just a single shift. Somehow, if the plant was to remain in BG, there had to be another shift added to keep those beancounters at bay.
But a couple of days ago some things transpired that warmed the hearts and settled the worried minds of many here in Bowling Green. We’ve been discussing many questions and remedies for the BG plant for some time now. As of 2012, the BG plant will become known as the GM “Two Seater Capital of the World” when it combines assembly of the Corvette with the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky which are currently being assembled in Wilmington, DE. That move will add shifts and another 1000 or so employees to the existing plant and will finally mean termination of one of the most disappointing production concepts to come to Cadillac since the Allante, the XLR.
Bowling Green is growing quickly and in fact, is the fastest growing city within all of Kentucky. Having moved here some three years ago now, I can honestly say that the people are fantastic and there is nothing better than southern hospitality. The Museum too should reap the rewards as the community grows and more and more tourists make their way in and around the area.
A huge thank you should be in order for all those at GM and the UAW who negotiated what seems like such a huge WIN WIN for everyone. Not just for the UAW, not just for GM, not for the city or state, but also for us, the Corvette enthusiasts. After all, what would it be like if we didn’t know…..”Bowling Green, Home of the Corvette”?
Thanks folks!
Jim Van DornFinally!
We want to thank all of you who participated in the Corvette paint color contest. Thanks for such a fantastic response! We have received HUNDREDS of suggestions. We have the final sugestions listed below and they have been submitted to the marketing department at GM. Will you see one of your suggestions on an upcoming new Corvette paint color? We'll see...
Oyster Pearl, Snowflake Pearl, Obsidian Black, Technology Red, Glacier Blue Metallic, Serpentine Green, Charcoal Smoke Metallic,
Thanks again to all of you who participated. It would be great to see a real green or a pearl white on a Corvette! Oh....and along the way we picked up a tidbit of information about upcoming Corvette colors. In the near future you may see some very special paint options with "special effects".
Stay tuned for an exciting announcement regarding future happenings at the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant!
Jim Van DornThere are recent rumors of an exciting and unique employment opportunity within the sacred halls of Generous Motors. As close as I can pin this down, the un-official position is located somewhere within the GM Design or Marketing departments. Job description as follows:
US automaker is currently seeking to fill the position of ‘Descriptive Paint Engineer’. No experience necessary however, applicant should be very creative with previous knowledge of the paint names used on the Corvette automobile. New paint names (and its description) must be non-offensive or suggestive (i.e. War Bonnet Yellow-1971), and should not refer to any substances or situations deemed unhealthy (Marlboro Maroon-1967). This is a corporate position therefore salary will be minimal if any.
Applicants must respond via email (Jim@AutoMastersofBG.com) and suggest at least one new color name and description. Color categories as follows and it should be mentioned that new color ideas will be strongly considered.
Colors (in order of popularity)Red, Black, White, Silver, Blue, Green, Yellow, Others, and “Far Outs”. “FO” colors include such mistakes as Black Rose and Turquoise Metallics :-)). Names in the past have included descriptions of nature (i.e., Sunflower Yellow, Fathom Green, Frost Blue, Fawn Biege, etc) or many chosen are geographic suggestions (i.e. Honduras Maroon, Sebring Silver, Panama Yellow, Daytona Blue, Riverside Red, Mosport Green, and Monaco Orange). Some of the simplest titles come from the mineral charts and depict some of the most unique colors ever used including Copper, Bronze, Pewter, Ruby (Red), Jewel (Blue), Gold (Aztec), Silver (Nevada), Sapphire (Crown), and Inca (Silver).
Be careful not to re-use a name that has been previously used on another vehicle. For instance, one of the all time most popular Corvette colors is white. This color has been named differently many times though the actual color disparity has been negligent in many cases. White has carried the names Polo, Classic, Can-Am, Polar, Ermine, Snowcrest, Arctic and Speedway. Please note that in many cases these very same colors were used on other models but were labeled differently. Most recently, the new colors for 2008 were announced. For Corvette, the new Jetstream Blue Metallic and Crystal Red Metallic are actually the very same colors used on the XLR but Cadillac carries the names Elektra Blue and Crystal Red. In fact, the Chevy truck line has offered many of the very same colors used on the Corvette for years. Chevy Colorado is Sunburst Orange while the Corvette nametag suggests a more powerful icon, Atomic Orange.
There are up to eight colors offered for the Corvette lineup each year. How about something new? Top color suggestions in all categories will be announced on the website http://www.AutoMastersofBG.com, voted on for popularity, then forwarded to the appropriate people within GM (NO KIDDING!). Ever wondered who named your Corvette’s color? Who knows, you could be responsible for the next Corvette color to hit the streets! Good Luck and BE CREATIVE!
Jim Van Dorn P.S. Please feel free to send pictures to illustrate your new or custom color if possible.Under the dealer’s franchise contract, he is an agent for the manufacturer. The term “warranty” is defined as a period of time when the manufacturer guarantees their product to perform to published specifications. If it doesn’t, they agree to repair it as necessary given a few guidelines. Most importantly is that the vehicle has been unmodified, or in the same configuration that it was delivered to you. In other words, the manufacturer isn’t going to repair a transmission if you had a supercharger installed on the engine. Even larger tires or wheels can void warranty; it’s up to the dealership service manager. Once your vehicle is tagged as “Warranty Exempt”, it is usually permanent.
As per the warranty agreement with the manufacturer, the dealer not only contracts to perform any warranty-able repairs, but also does so at a drastically reduced price to the manufacturer. The hourly monetary rate may be the same but the actual charge time is much less and in fact, is actually stipulated by the manufacturer themselves. This creates a tremendous challenge for the dealership and ultimately the technician. The same water pump replacement pays 1.2 hours under warranty but 3.0 hours are charged for “Customer Pay”. It actually takes most tech’s nearer the Customer Pay time to accomplish. Which vehicle would you rather work on?
Therefore warranty creates chaos for the dealer in many ways. A warranty repair is basically done at no profit, or in some cases, at a loss. Even replacement parts are charged to the manufacturer at a reduced price. So the technician spends the same amount of time performing the repair as a customer pay job, but earns less than half in true dollars. Therefore, the dealer AND the technician make much less. Because of this, warranty jobs are viewed unfavorably and in many cases used as a punishment for poor performing employees. While the favorite tech’s are busy making good money on Customer Pay jobs, the scorned ones are trying to pump out the warranty jobs in a feverish pace trying to make somewhat of a paycheck. Ever wonder why you usually come out of the dealership with more problems than you came in with?
Just as a side note: When I was working at a Cadillac dealership, I couldn’t figure out why I was getting mostly all warranty jobs while others were knocking out Customer Pay jobs one after another. While they flagged 120 hour paychecks (2 weeks) I struggled for 60. I finally went up to the Service Dispatcher and asked only to be told I was the new guy, I had to earn my place, etc., etc. One lunch I made a statement about the way warranty was distributed and finally one guy told me “You need to get on the program!”. I asked what “program” he was referring to and he replied that if I didn’t give the dispatcher a “commission” from my paycheck, he wouldn’t give me the good jobs. Go figure….I left 2 weeks later….
But there is one important benefit for the dealer concerning warranty. It brings a customer into the service department. In today’s service departments, many choose to upsell you even though your repair is covered under warranty. An air filter here, or some washer fluid there, it all adds up. In fact, more than ever before, many dealers are making it a policy to FIND ways to charge you for each and every visit, and it’s not hard; just look at your owner’s manual. Even under the warranty period there are suggestions for routine service based on mileage. These service intervals, (i.e. 12, 000-24,000, 36,000 miles etc) are an open ticket for the dealership to charge you for what you believe to be needed service. In actuality, if you can even find a listing for what the interval service consists of, you’ll also find that it involves a series of nothing but “checks” and “inspections”, not any real service. Sure IF these checks were done it might take an hour but usually these are viewed as the “gravy” jobs. No work for good pay.
“Genuine” Service and RepairYou might bring your vehicle to the dealer because you believe you are getting the best in factory service and parts. In reality, how do you know? You don’t. The dealer has to provide a budget for training and this is one of the first areas for “cost management” i.e., cuts. The internet offers training for dealerships but of course there is no “hands on” experience to go along with it. I have seen many applicants for technician positions that came with stacks of diplomas and certificates. One guy I remember, looked like a GM Master Tech on paper, but lasted only two days after I caught him using crescent wrench on a brake caliper bolt. Even your DMV makes a written test AND a hands on driving test mandatory for a license. Simple isn’t it?
Parts are another reason you might choose to return to the dealer. After all, they ONLY use the authorized factory parts right? Hardly. In fact, there is nothing in writing anywhere that says they must. In many cases, the dealer may not have parts in stock and thus he out sources to local parts houses and service providers. These parts are almost always cheaper in price AND quality. The dealer then adds those items to your receipt as if it is a factory numbered part and of course you pay the hugely inflated price.
In many cases there are no “factory brand” parts available, only a specification. Most common is oil. The dealer uses the oil of his choice, in most cases the least expensive he can get away with. Same goes for other fluids which are usually purchased in bulk containers and hidden away in a back storage room somewhere and piped into the service bays.
The Service Manager is responsible for his department. If you have an honest, moral person doing the leading, it will be far more likely the others will follow suit. Careful supervision is necessary to ensure both a second opinion and that repairs or service is actually needed, ESPECIALLY when those employees are working on commission. But how do you know? Well, you don’t but there are ways to check out your service facility before you actually go there.
Call your Better Business Bureau or the authority that governs the auto industry in your state. In California, the Dept of Consumer Affairs has a separate department called the Bureau of Automotive Repair. They enforce the rules and regulations governing that states auto industry. You can contact that agency and ask for a complaint history. Ask friends and neighbors, even those you don’t know like parts store owners, or prominent people in your community. Ask those in your workplace. While opinions may vary widely, you can make your own decision based on information you receive. Ironically, one place you might think to call first may not be any help at all. The manufacturer’s own help line will most likely avoid giving any advice or recommendation for their dealers. Ask if they will provide you with your dealers’ CSI score. CSI stands for Customer Service Index and it is a very important factor in rating a dealer. The score ranges from 0-100 with 100 being “Excellent”. More on CSI later…
A good service department will be clean, neat and organized. You will be greeted by a service writer. They are the spokesmen for the dealership. If they are well dressed, cordial and polite, you are off to a good start.
So what if your dealer is questionable? Find another one. In fact, General Motors has recently adopted a policy that allows you to take your vehicle to ANY GM dealership regardless of make for warranty. While this may be of convenience to you by location, it may also stimulate competition between other GM dealerships for your service dollar.
There are many ways for the dealerships to improve their service and as they lose more and more customers to those offering better service, they might finally try to do so. I’ve sold hundreds of cars for GM just by offering competent service. Our customers bought GM over and over again because they knew and trusted where to take their cars. Many customers choose to avoid the dealer altogether for trivial warranty items rather than endure a visit to their service departments.
The dealership “model” needs to change in many ways beginning with management and corporate involvement. While the dealership themselves may be a privately owned business, the manufacturer must implement (AND ENFORCE) procedures that will help support their consumer. Stronger incentives for service scores are a must but there must also be penalties for lack of performance. Do you remember getting a long survey when you last visited your dealer for a warranty repair? Did you throw it in the trash like all the other junk mail? Well, what you should do is fill it out completely and honestly. This is what’s called the Customer Satisfaction Survey and this is actually scored by a private company. This “score” is called the CSI or Customer Satisfaction Index. The manufacturer uses this score as an incentive to the dealers for a variety of issues including their actual inventory. The CSI can drastically affect a dealer in many ways, both good and bad. But in reality, with poor sales and dropping market share, the manufacturers are less prone to penalize even a poor performing dealer. Our local Chevy dealer in La Quinta, Ca. had a CSI of only 25 but his lots were full of inventory. Imagine coming home with a test score of only 25 on your homework?? But if no one cared, would you?
But there are also alternatives to the dealership service department. In many cases, some of the best technicians choose to leave the dealer and open a private practice. You’ll find these folks by word of mouth, NOT the biggest ad in the yellow pages. Ask around as described above. If one name keeps popping up, give them a try. Although they won’t be able to perform factory warranty repairs, they will most likely be approved to honor your extended warranty.
And remember, regardless of whether you own your vehicle or lease it, you can choose any facility you prefer to service your vehicle. You DO NOT have to return to your dealer. In fact, many times your independent technician will point out items covered under warranty that your dealer mechanics may choose to ignore. After all, who wants to work for warranty pay when you can earn three times more on non-warranty work??