Picking up at the factory.

[Bullitt2065]

While on this topic though, I think a large reason why Ford probably doesn't do this is that unlike GM's Bowling Green Assembly, Ford's Flat Rock Assembly plant is way busier. GM only assembles the Corvette there at an average rate of ~3100/month. Ford assembles Mustangs and Fusions at Flat Rock and while I don't see splits for Fusions between Flat Rock and Hermosillo Mexico Assembly Plant (they're not made on the same production lines as Mustangs anyway probably), the production numbers of both cars dwarf Corvette's numbers.

I think they just do too much volume to potentially slow down the lines with personalized touches for those that will spring for it. Don't get me wrong, I'd really like for them to offer it.

Fusions, Mustangs (Including the new GT350) and soon to be the Continental all roll down the exact same assembly line at the same time. There is no special Mustang line, and no special Shelby line and no specific times for certain vehicles. Anything you've heard contrary to that is 100% wrong.

Here is a photo showing Fusions and Mustangs rolling down the line, together.

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[mattlqx]

Thanks for the confirmation. I have to imagine those lines move pretty quick to pump out all those vehicles. I wonder how many lines they have.

 

[Bullitt2065]

Thanks for the confirmation. I have to imagine those lines move pretty quick to pump out all those vehicles. I wonder how many lines they have.

Just one, I believe...

 

[thumper]

Just one, I believe...

is there a separate line for building the RHD export version, or is it still the same?

 

[Bullitt2065]

is there a separate line for building the RHD export version, or is it still the same?

I would guess not.

 

[KCRay]

JUST talked to a good friend that JUST picked his new Z06 Corvette up at the plant - actually you pick it up at the Corvette Museum, not the plant. He said he would never spend the money to do it again, and would never recommend it to anybody. It took 5 to 6 hours to get it and there was really nothing "special" about it. Although he enjoyed the plant tour, he could have flown down, taken the plant tour, and flown back a lot cheaper than the $1,000 the "plant pickup" cost him.

 

[Bullitt2065]

JUST talked to a good friend that JUST picked his new Z06 Corvette up at the plant - actually you pick it up at the Corvette Museum, not the plant. He said he would never spend the money to do it again, and would never recommend it to anybody. It took 5 to 6 hours to get it and there was really nothing "special" about it. Although he enjoyed the plant tour, he could have flown down, taken the plant tour, and flown back a lot cheaper than the $1,000 the "plant pickup" cost him.

But if you had it shipped to the dealer, you'd be paying $995 for dealership shipping, or $990 for museum delivery. Either way, they're getting their money...

 

[KCRay]

Actually..........you pay an EXTRA $995 for Museum pickup............you still have to pay standard destination charges as well.

 

[Spa2k]

The best deal is the Buyers Tour, where you get a personal, very detailed tour with a top executive of the Bowling Green Assembly Plant; it's far more thorough than the regular plant tour, plus you can talk to the people on the line who are assembling your car. My son and I did that for our C6, and he actually got to install a part on the car. The tour started at the marriage of the body to the chassis (at the exact minute we were told it would happen), and over the course of 2 days we followed the car all the way through to the end of the line, where I got to "birth" it (start it for the first time). I also took a picture of the odometer reading 0 miles, which is the only time anyone will ever see that on a new car. My son rode along on the dyno test after the car was driven off the end of the line. We also received a personal tour of the National Corvette Museum, met Corvette execs and had dinner with a couple of them. It was a first-class experience, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I did not take delivery at the Museum, because I would have had to go back to Bowling Green a couple of weeks later. The Buyers Tour and the Museum Delivery are not connected in any way; unlike what some people think, the car is not driven off the end of the assembly line and driven a couple of blocks to the museum. The car is held for quality control checks and then is delivered to the museum for PDI - the same as a dealer would do.

I had our C6 shipped back to my local dealer for PDI and delivery, because I didn't see the value in the museum delivery and I didn't want to break in my new C6 on 700 miles of crummy Interstate.

 

[SVTFreak]

People already touched.

So here's the high points.

No you can't.

Factory is too busy. Cars roll off in increments measured in seconds. There's no way to shut down the line to get everyone together for photos. It would cost LOTS of money. And increase the cost of cars.

No you can't pickup at the factory. Even corvette you have to get at the museum. Yep, they load it up on a truck, drive it around the corner and unload it. Why, you ask? Teamsters union. Not a single one can leave the factory any other way and you STILL must pay the destination and delivery.

Would it be cool? Very. Is it logistically and monitarily feasible at a factory that produces what flat rock does? Not even close.

FYI at one point I read that they where producing 600 cars per day running two shifts (16 hours). Not even counting lunch and breaks, that's a car every 96 seconds.

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