'00 FRC Hardtop - moar LS/Murica/long distance high speed cruising

[nsogiba]

At this point it was about 90F with humidity right about there too, so after the track laps we hit a local gastropub in Bowling Green for lunch to cool off. The final stop in Bowling Green was the Corvette Assembly Plant. Unfortunately the plant was on their shutdown week, so I wasn't able to get a tour, so I'll have to come back in a couple years to experience it.

First, a quick stop and photo op:
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I didn't get to do the plant tour, but that didn't stop me from grabbing some pics out front.

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Mitch (the track manager) had mentioned some big upgrades that were coming to the plant - namely a new "Paint Shop". What an understatement...
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Some massive construction going on there.

With all the "car stuff" for the day over with, we headed back to Nashville with the AC cranked up. Ran into a group of 4 ladies on bikes that were staying at our hotel and looked like they were ready for a fun weekend.
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[nsogiba]

Once outside I was surprised to see that the sun had come back out and the rain was drying up, although it was still wet in spots.

The stable had changed over in the Vette lot. I found it interesting that every one of them had a personalized tag.

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Had to get some shots in front of the building
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Headed over to the track next door with fingers crossed hoping they'd let us run despite the recent downpour. The manager, Mitch Wright, was a great guy and had no problem taking the lead in the track prepped C5Z for some touring laps. I fired up the GoPro and we ran 1 warm up lap, 4 hot laps, and 1 cool down.

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Great track with a lot of blind hills and corners, and surprisingly a lot of elevation changes - which led to a lot of water run off from the rain making some parts of the course slippery. The car held up great; I did watch the oil temps climb up to 250F, but the brakes and tires were problem free. I think we saw around 105mph on the front straight.



Will have to upload the video as it's still on my other computer along with the dragon/skyway footage.

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I chatted with Mitch about the yellow track prepped C5Z (which had only 24K on it - mostly from that track) and the C6Z's (not pictured) used for passenger hot lap joyrides.

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Note the skyjacker ride height on the C5Z compared to my lowered street car. Aside from race pads, race seats, and a revised alignment, the Z was bone stock. A real track whore, she showed her scars.
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[nsogiba]

I had wanted to also visit the Motorsports Park Track next door and do some Touring Laps, so imagine my disappointment when I heard a rumbling overhead

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So, I took a few more snaps in the dome to wrap up my visit

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The final room in the museum showed some racing history.
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Stopped by the gift shop and picked up a couple posters for the garage back home, an engraved beer glass, and tumbler.

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Quick stop in the men's room - even the entrance here was decorated.
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Walking through the main entrance area, there were still a couple things to see
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Such as the Museum Delivery area.
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where new cars were awaiting pickup by their owners.
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There was a new C7 ragtop available to sit in. Not sure if I like it.
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But the wife did
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[LCG]

I'm watching

[nsogiba]

The only '83 left in existence. There was no regular production for the 1983 model year.

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Some of the unrestored sinkhole victims.
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2001 Mallett Z06
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Aluminum upright snapped clean in half
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Wow...what a hole!



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[nsogiba]

Gorgeous '96 C4 Grand Sport, my favorite C4. I remember the first time seeing this car in my Gran Turismo days as a kid
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Why settle for a V8 when you can run a V12? Apparently this exercise was to see what the C4 chassis could handle in terms of power. I wonder why they went with more displacement rather than moving some forced induction through the tried and true small block.

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[nsogiba]

That led directly out to the Dome, which was much bigger than I thought it would be.

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The extent of the hole had been outlined on the floor throughout the entire room.
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Some of the vehicles were deemed too far gone to be restored, so they were just placed on display, which I thought was very neat.
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From this...
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To this
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Interesting C6s
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Pace car history
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Anniversary models
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[nsogiba]

Some non-LS powertrain...wait a minute...

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In a C6? This was the test mule used by GM to develop the C7 powertrain without giving away the C7 body to the press and public.

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Even comes with magic floating Mobil 1 oil.
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Conventional C5 hood in red VS carbon fiber hood that came on 2004 Z06s. Significant weight difference that you could feel when you picked them up.

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C5 steel chassis exhibit...
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That you could lift at one end.
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C5 Crash test vehicle.
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Tucked away at the end of this row was a small shop where the museum maintains and works on the vehicles. Imagine doing that for a living.
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The next exhibit showcased the whole sinkhole - I had no idea that it was that big of a hole. Lots of fun interactive displays showing how the rock collapsed, how a sinkhole is formed, which cars got swallowed up, which ones got saved, etc.

Damn right!
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This was very cool. A small room with a projected image and sound that showed what it would be like, under the floor, when it collapsed. The wife loved it.
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[nsogiba]

Cutaway, working model (with moving parts) of a Gen 2 small block (LT1)

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C6 ZR-1 Exhibit showing footage from the record breaking Nurburgring lap. Very cool. I will be there myself in less than 2 months.

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Concept cars over the years

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This next section was one of my favorite of the museum - not only because it featured a lot of C5 development, but because it focused on technology and the development process as a whole. The engineer in me was in heaven.

'97 C5 bare chassis

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Interesting how tall the center tunnel is, but how low the side-sills are. Apparently the reduction in that sill height was a big deal when the C5 was introduced.
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Rear transaxle assembly, another first for the Corvette family introduced on the C5
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Balsa wood sandwiched between the flooring of the chassis for rigidity and light weight.
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Needs the zip tie mod. Think they'd notice if I tossed the lid cover?
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Just plain cool.
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[loekaaz]

...Now stop letting people hit you.

It's almost like an anti-mustang...

[nsogiba]

More old examples


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Interesting exhibit showing the "marriage" of the chassis to the body.

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Check out the external shift linkage on the 4 speed and the exhaust traveling through the frame
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Homologation C5

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ZR-1 LT5

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The 80s C3s/C4s with crazy livery were pretty cool

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Uhhh...interesting fabrication/wiring
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Love the mesh deep dish race wheels.

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[nsogiba]

Love the updates. Now stop letting people hit you.

bruh tell me about it

Your road trip looks like a wet dream. You drove the route I want to drive someday.

How'd the cutouts function on the Dragon?

I actually used them very little the whole trip. Kept them closed on the Dragon just in case there were any LEO's sitting up ahead - didn't want to give them any warning that I was coming. Did use them a couple times in some tunnels through Cincinnati. Yeehaw

[MommysLittleMonster]

Your road trip looks like a wet dream. You drove the route I want to drive someday.

How'd the cutouts function on the Dragon?

[white out]

Love the updates. Now stop letting people hit you.

[nsogiba]

The next morning we hit the road early to get to Bowling Green about an hour north of Nashville.

The weather was gorgeous and after some minor rush hour traffic in downtown Nashville, we were blasting up I-65.

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After a bit I noticed a late model Camaro that I thought wanted to play on the highway a bit - nope, just a middle aged woman chatting with her girlfriends in the car at a cool 90 mph cruising speed (note speed on HUD)

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I settled in behind her and she began to pull away - I gladly let her be the bait for any bored trooper up ahead.

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Before we knew it we were getting close
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Parked in the Corvette only zone. Note the crappy weather again
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Figured I'd wash the car for its trip back to where it was born
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Once inside we began the self guided tour, which started with early generations of Corvettes and progressed through the decades. Anything older than a C4 doesn't really do it for me, but I couldn't help but appreciate the attention to detail in the period-correct scenes put together.

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Tribute to the ever-present UAW union worker.

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I don't know if the time on the punch clock was coincidental, or an inside joke poking fun at the timeliness of union employees
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