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After recently picking up my own C8 convertible at the National Corvette Museum, I have some notes and thoughts on the R8C Museum Delivery option, which is a must if you get a new Corvette, as is the track time.
Fly into Nashville and rent a car. Enterprise has a drop off close to the Museum. Be sure to select the Bowling Green HWY 31 location as the drop off. I would recommend making the reservation on a computer and bringing the confirmation with you. I dropped the car off at the end of the day, as late as possible without incurring an extra time charge. The museum can help with the drop off.
I stayed at The Hotel SYNC and rented the garage, which is actually a tight fit for the C8. With the convertible top stowed, getting in and out is a breeze. A coupe is going to be rough as evidenced by the wall dents I saw. I put the Novistrech bra on while in the garage. The Hotel offers a full kitchen and upscale shower, the staff is really nice and friendly. All of the rooms are very nice suites. The prices are reasonable and the hotel is a 2-3 minute drive from the Museum.
If you are planning to visit their track to drive one of the Museum’s C8’s, when you are contacted with available delivery dates, call or go online to the NCM Motorsports Park and reserve your day and time before confirming your delivery to make sure you can get the track time during your visit. The track now has the option to drive a Z06.
I would recommend adding a day or so to your planned visit just in case your car has any kind of issue. I got an OnStar alert while they were prepping the car, indicating a fault with the air bag system. They sent the car back to the factory, and got the car back just in time for my scheduled delivery. A one-day buffer would have been better. After setting your track date, confirm the delivery. You may be able to get them both on the same day. I recommend scheduling the track either early in the day, or towards the end of the day, and allow 4 - 5 hours for the delivery process.
Our guide stayed with us for 7 hours. We started at 7:30 am with the car on Corvette Boulevard, did a little shopping in the gift shop, had lunch at the recently renovated Stingray Cafe (good food, reasonably priced), and then toured the Museum. The staff is super. Unfortunately the plant was closed to tours. We tipped our guide for all his help at the end of our delivery.
The drive home from Bowling Green is approximately 13 to 15 hours to the center of Long Island with fuel stops. Our trip took 19 hours with stops for fuel, dinner, rest rooms, and a 20-minute rest in NJ due to my eyes hurting from the oncoming headlights. We left Bowling Green at 3 pm NY time, and made it home in Farmingdale by 9 am. No traffic (but heavy fog areas) except for NJ to Farmingdale due to rain and accidents. The one hour trip from NJ took 4 hours.
If you have a Z51 be aware of the colder northern routes, as the temperature can get low. Take the southern coastal routes, which are a little warmer but take a little longer.
Our guide helped us laminate our paperwork in the museum store with a nice discount. We did it all – Museum plaque sheet, window sticker, build sheet, etc. Your friends at home can watch the delivery via the Museum webcams, and capture some screen shots for you. If your car include the Performance Data Recorder, bring an SD memory card (make sure it’s a Class 10 card with at least 16 GB of space - 64 GB is better). The Museum will send you some photos of your experience via email a few days after your delivery experience.
Remember enjoy the ride home. It was fun breaking in the car on the trip home. I drove home in weather mode to gently break in the car.
good post. mine differed a little from yours. we stayed at the Drury hotel because of suggestions on this forum . the Drury had coffee ready at 0330 both mornings i was there, and a decent breakfast starting at 0600. it also offered dinner which we did not eat, but they do offer $1 drinks. we dropped the car off and called Shane for a ride. our delivery was an all day thing as we had the museum tour and the factory tour. we left our hotel and took the backroads to pigeon forge followed by 3 days of driving back to fla, via Deals Gap, 276, BRP, some north ga and Sc twisties.
That's an excellent write up for ANY time of year because related, but different road conditions could exist. Plus, the hours and headlight issues could affect others as well. And if there is resumption of the Plant Tour, your guide for the Museum will be the same person and the tour will take an added X (2+ ?) hours of time.
good post. mine differed a little from yours. we stayed at the Drury hotel because of suggestions on this forum . the Drury had coffee ready at 0330 both mornings i was there, and a decent breakfast starting at 0600. it also offered dinner which we did not eat, but they do offer $1 drinks. we dropped the car off and called Shane for a ride. our delivery was an all day thing as we had the museum tour and the factory tour. we left our hotel and took the backroads to pigeon forge followed by 3 days of driving back to fla, via Deals Gap, 276, BRP, some north ga and Sc twisties.
Well sounds like a great trip. We have one on order with a TPW of 2/6/23 (give or take ) A fellow member @Beachman14 just got his delivery date,I hope he finds this post, thanks for the info , Did you tell other to watch-you on the webcams . I thought I read someplace we get a free courtesy SD card with the Museum deliver
Well sounds like a great trip. We have one on order with a TPW of 2/6/23 (give or take ) A fellow member @Beachman14 just got his delivery date,I hope he finds this post, thanks for the info , Did you tell other to watch-you on the webcams . I thought I read someplace we get a free courtesy SD card with the Museum deliver
Yes, It's in the second to last line.
We got a recording of the delivery from a friend on a data stick, along with screen shots.
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21
To the OP:
Where were you with this information when I picked my car up last year?!?!
Good info. Especially reference the buffer time and scheduling track time. I wish I had done at least two things differently when I picked up my 2022 Coupe last year.
1. I would have rented with Enterprise and made arrangements to drop the rental car off in Bowling Green. Not doing this created a minor inconvenience, but my wife and I planned to stay in Nashville anyway and we returned the rental car to the airport. At least having my wife with me, we were able to drive both cars back to Nashville.
2. I would have booked a hotel in Bowling Green. We took the full museum tour and did a LOT of shopping in the gift shop. By the time we did that and finished the paperwork, the Stingray Cafe was closed for the day, so we had to leave Bowling Green a lot earlier than we wanted to in order to get the rental car turned in and do an early dinner since we missed lunch. It was a good thing we left for Bowling Green very early that morning to have a big breakfast before picking up the car.
Will definitely keep this advice in mind when I pick up my next Corvette from the MCN
To the OP:
Where were you with this information when I picked my car up last year?!?!
Good info. Especially reference the buffer time and scheduling track time. I wish I had done at least two things differently when I picked up my 2022 Coupe last year.
1. I would have rented with Enterprise and made arrangements to drop the rental car off in Bowling Green. Not doing this created a minor inconvenience, but my wife and I planned to stay in Nashville anyway and we returned the rental car to the airport. At least having my wife with me, we were able to drive both cars back to Nashville.
2. I would have booked a hotel in Bowling Green. We took the full museum tour and did a LOT of shopping in the gift shop. By the time we did that and finished the paperwork, the Stingray Cafe was closed for the day, so we had to leave Bowling Green a lot earlier than we wanted to in order to get the rental car turned in and do an early dinner since we missed lunch. It was a good thing we left for Bowling Green very early that morning to have a big breakfast before picking up the car.
Will definitely keep this advice in mind when I pick up my next Corvette from the MCN
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The reason I rented, rather then take an Uber / ride share is because a friend had an issue when he picked up his car. His car went back for service, one day extra and he kept the rental for another day.
Just be sure to print out the rental agreement ( I did it on line) and keep it with you when you drop off the car. The rental co said I was supposed to drop the car at the airport. I showed them the rental agreement and said " not according to the rental agreement, they then took the car" It's literally 10 minutes from the Museum to the drop off.
good post. mine differed a little from yours. we stayed at the Drury hotel because of suggestions on this forum . the Drury had coffee ready at 0330 both mornings i was there, and a decent breakfast starting at 0600. it also offered dinner which we did not eat, but they do offer $1 drinks. we dropped the car off and called Shane for a ride. our delivery was an all day thing as we had the museum tour and the factory tour. we left our hotel and took the backroads to pigeon forge followed by 3 days of driving back to fla, via Deals Gap, 276, BRP, some north ga and Sc twisties.
You did a pretty similar route that I am taking. Staying with my uncle a little south of Nashville then staying a day each in Robbinsville - Blairsville - Augusta - Daytona Beach - West Palm Beach(home)
I lived in NE GA for a few years so going to hit every great road I know after doing Tail of the Dragon(only need to do once, too busy for me). Blood Mountain, Tallulah Falls, Hiawassee, the Andrews Valley Rail Tour, Helen.... I can't wait to see how the Vette does. Should be past 500 for the last day in the mountains before back to FL.
Pic below is my favorite GA road that is always emty!
@BLUE1972 Will a Z06 which I believe is 3.6 inches wider fit in the Hotel Sync garage? It is a HTC so I can drop the top.
Thanks.
It should fit, it's the getting in and out, but with a HTC it's easy. The issue is the intake on the doors limiting the side clearance , not much room to open the door, swing your feet out, about a foot each side.
On the HTC open the top, open the door, stand up and you can get out, reverse for getting in. A few people pulled the C8 in, tight on the passenger side and were able to get out.
Thread resurrection! I have saved this thread for a long time as info, and I finally got the note from Shane with a build date.
A question that I have not seen answered across these R8C threads, but I'm sure due somewhat to the fact that folks want to get their butt in that seat pronto, how long after the actual delivery date are you allowed to wait to pick up at NCM?
01-11-2023, 02:44 PM
Museum Delivery ,how I did it
