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Y'see, I had no idea I was getting a C6. My bride Gael surprised me with the news on January 10th. If you've not already read about that, click HERE.
She ordered the Machine Silver C6 Coupe, red interior, automatic transmission..
.. from Becky at Bruce Glueck Chevrolet in Jasper, FL and arranged for delivery at the National Corvette Museum. Chevrolet has a Regular Production Option (RPO) that makes this possible: RPO #R8C. For only $490 you can have your new Corvette delivered to you in Bowling Green at the National Corvette Museum; it's quite an experience.
We'd seen several Corvette buddies get their cars that way and I'd always said I'd love to do that. Gael has an excellent memory!
It turns out that friend Winston Whitlock had ordered his Velocity Yellow Coupe from Becky as well and he invited me to go with him to attend his R8C Museum delivery. Click HERE for that story.
Once we knew when our C6 was coming off the line, we only had to wait through the 10-14 day "quality hold" and we could schedule our delivery. When Gael and I were in Bowling Green for our plant walk-through we picked Friday, February 3rd. We could likely have had it sooner, but we wanted as many friends as possible to join us and a Friday works best for that.
Gael and I put a list together and I sent an email to our friends asking them to join us. None of them live in or even near Bowling Green so it was a signficant driving commitment for them to join us -- but just about everyone we invited was able to come.
Thursday, February 2nd
The plan was to meet in Bowling Green in the afternoon and evening of Thursday, February 2nd. Some of the early arrivals got together in our room at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and then went to an early dinner at Smokey Bones.
That's where we got our first surprise of the weekend. Bob and Vicky Hardt were supposed to join us -- but it turned out that Bob's "date" was not Vicky but old pal Ed Duprey. Ed had driven down from Michigan making him the one who came the farthest to be part of our delivery celebration. And, he brought buttons for everyone:
(Click on Cathleen to see the button bigger)
After a pretty good meal we all turned in; tomorrow will be a big day!
One of the nice features at the NCM is a series of webcams focused on the six Delivery Areas. When Gael and I visited a couple of weeks ago on our plant walk-through, she'd asked if we could Delivery Area #5 (I really don't know why). I published the URL for that particular webcam to all our friends world-wide (who couldn't be with us) so they could watch the delivery tomorrow morning live!
Friday, February 3rd
Part of the R8C delivery is a special VIP tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant just across the road from the Museum. The number of players for this tour was limited to four; Gael gave up her spot (she'd just been there two weeks ago) so the gang of four was me, Newsom and Beverly Baker and Bill Barr. We had to be at the NCM at 7:45a to meet our Delivery person Bruce Robel for the plant tour. Everyone else had the option of the Public Plant Tour at 9am or skipping that part. Since most of our friends have been thru the plant many times, most opted to sleep in with only Joe Blumberg, Fred and Fran Gunter taking advantage of the Public Plant Tour. Everything was timed so that all of us would be done and back at the NCM by about 10:15am. It all worked out perfectly.
When Newsom, Beverly, Bill and I arrived at the museum there was our name in lights just inside over the entrance:
I knew the car was sitting ready in Delivery Area #5 but I steeled myself against going in to see it, wanting to savor the experience later.
Speaking of "our name in lights", when we got to the plant, there was our name over the entrance:
There are no cameras permitted inside the Corvette Assembly Plant so there are no photos of our two-hour tour; but it was great! The Corvette is truly a hand-built motorcar.
At about 10:15am we returned to the Museum to find all our friends waiting for us around the car. I walked past the sign explaining about the "Corvette Nursery" where R8C cars await their new owners:
.. and here's my first look at my new ride:
Just roped off and lookin' shiny! The poster behind the car looks like this (closer up):
Next we had some paperwork to do so Gael and I joined Bruce in the "delivery office":
.. and this is where we got our next surprise from Ed Duprey. All R8C participants get a 8" x 10" personalized, laser-engraved walnut plaque like this:
Bruce started to hand us ours and then tossed it aside and said we had something special:
While Ed Duprey (who owns Great Lakes Trophies and Engraving) does the regular R8C plaques for the NCM, he wanted us to have something unique. Buttons AND a great big R8C plaque; thanks, Ed!
Paperwork done and it's time for Bruce to take us through the features of our new C6. "Hi! I'll be your spokesmodel Gael..."
Just then we got a cellphone call from our four-year-old grandson Spencer who was watching us on the webcam from Santa Rosa California:
This was the first of several (many?) cellphone calls we received during the next hour. A special treat for us was to have our keyfob presented to us by pal Buzz Nielsen who is Chairman of the Board of the National Corvette Museum Foundation. I think this is a first for Buzz and we really appreciated his doing it:
Bruce put the sticker on the door jamb signifying R8C delivery:
The surprises just keep on comin'! The NCM has a program where you can buy a brick to place in the plaza of the Museum. Buzz and Jackie Nielsen got one for us to commemorate our delivery:
 
And finally, Becky @ Bruce Glueck Chevrolet sent us a pair of satin jackets; thanks Becky and Bruce!
Bruce led me through all the nooks and crannies and electronic whizbang gizmos on the car. I confess I'll still have to do some reading to get it all down!
 
Did we really have fifteen friends join us for this?!? You count 'em:
Back row left-to-right: George Hicks, Newsom Baker, Beverly Baker, Ed Duprey, Bob Hardt, Bill Barr, Ron Floyd, Cathleen Blumberg, Joe Blumberg, Fran Gunter and Fred Gunter
Front row left-to-right: Vicki Hicks, Robin Floyd, Jackie Nielsen, Buzz Nielsen, Gael and me
Click the webcam shot above to see many of the webcam pictures that were taken by friends across the country; thank you all!
You'd think it was all over now, wouldn't you(?); but nooooooo! Next up was a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum itself while Bruce described all the exhibits. No matter how many times I do it I always learn something.
When that was over, Bruce and Gael drove the car out
 
.. and around to the front of the Museum for yet another photo op. The weather (Bowling Green weather is always unpredictable) cooperated beautifully:
    
Remember the brick? Well, the new one hadn't been set yet but we went to look at all our others already in place:
(This is my first one; notice my neighbors..)
(This one is from the Historic Motorama in 2002)
(This one commemorates my running Gael down on the way to NCM Labor Day 1999)
(And this one is in memory of Gael's mom)
The new brick (Buzz and Jackie's gift) will go right next to GrandMommy's; she'd like that..
Most agreed to meet somewhere for lunch -- but I hadn't yet driven my new Corvette! So first, Bill and I took the C6 over to the Assembly Plant for another few photos:
    
What a day! And it's not nearly over yet. Most all of us descended upon Rafferty's for a late lunch:
After about an hour's respite, it was back to our room at the hotel for a champagne cocktail party. Gael gave everyone a T-Shirt:
They're silver shirts with dark red copy (of course); a gift from our son-in-law Matt. Thanks, Matt!
Everyone apparently had such a good time with the champagne that there are no pictures -- and then we all went out to dinner at 440 Main on the square in downtown Bowling Green:
    
The little cars some are holding up are, of course, placecards (you know Gael...)
After a lovely dinner and a wild ride home in the hotel van (it was raining cats and dogs) we all turned in and slept like stones. It was a full day!
Saturday, February 4th
After the beautiful day on Friday, followed by the rain Friday night, what else could happen?!?
 
Yep. That's right: SNOW!!!!!
The good news is that everyone made it home safely and (reportedly) a good time was had by all. Gael and I want to thank our friends (those who came and those who couldn't) for making this such a special weekend for us!
THANK YOU!!
Thanks especially to Bill Barr and George Hicks who took most of the pictures on this web page! |
