Z51 Constraints Ruin My Dream Car
 

My dealer called today to tell me my order was ready to go into production.......I was thrilled....then he says "But got some bad news...."The Z51 pkg is under constraint and the Carbon Fiber dash is also" Two things I wanted most on the car! I have been waiting since Feb. for the car to move this far. It is absolutely ridiculous that Chevy can advertise these cars to draw people's interest and then can't follow through producing their product! I am pissed and disappointed that Chevy can pull this **** but makes sure the Big Boy dealers like Hendrick, Les Stanford, Kerbeck....are well stocked but the smaller cities get screwed! I have had 5 Corvettes and was looking forward toward number 6 but I'm not sure I will be getting one. New Mustang is gonna get a 2nd look.......:mad:

I have a tpw of 5/12. Is that why some people are produced and I'm not? Curious if any 5/12 cars being produced are z51

No harm intended but you should watch who you blame for this. How is it GM's fault that your dealer can't get a Z51. It's pretty late in the model year and all the info on ordering these cars has been out for a long time. It's likely your dealer's own fault for not selling enough Corvettes in 2012. That's what C7 allocations were based on. So the dealers that put in the work got taken care of. There's really no better way to do it. I'm from a small town and I knew better than to try and place my order around here. So I called Les Stanford and placed my order 800 miles away. I placed the order on 4/24 and should be able to get a Z51 this model year. If I don't, at least I know I gave myself a good chance by going with one of the top Corvette dealers.

I cancelled Z51 when it went on constraint last year. Moved my production date up by three months. And I have to say, having owned six Z51's from 1999 til this January...This Stingray is every bit the equivalent of those cars, even without the option. Unless you want to be a track hero, forget it, imho.

Enjoy your Mustang !.....

Why didnt you order your car from a forum dealer who has allocation instead of a local podunk dealer..who doesnt?



There's only been like a dozen threads of people complaining of not being able to get what they want from a local podunk dealer with limited allocations....It's not exactly a secret...:ack:

I'm going to say thats your dealers fault. The dealership I ordered my car from is a low volume Corvette dealer. But they were able to get me exactly what I wanted off the spec sheet.3LT, Z51 package no problem. Factory racing stripes no problem, I was like the fourth vette they sold.

I had a similar call on the CF dash. I decided to wait.

Today I think I would have not waited and just gone aftermarket. But the Z51 would have been a deal buster.

I do not understand what Chevy's problem is here. You would have thought they would have fixed the constraints by now. It's almost one full year of production.

I agree that GM's allocation system is very unfair to small dealers, but unfortunately there is nothing that we can do about it. You just have to order from larger dealerships and deal with the extra shipping and travel costs.

I was actually able to get my 2LT Z51 built through my local dealer and they only had one allocation. They haven't even sold a single Corvette in years. But cases like mine are fairly rare and usually require help from people inside General Motors.

^+1.. Their allocation system is really bad.

Cars are built with the parts they have. When the part suppliers tell them they'll have parts by X date, GM takes orders for cars they'll build at that point. If the suppliers don't make good on their promise to get those parts to them, GM holds the orders and puts on constraints.

It's pretty simple. They're not in the business of turning down money. So when you place an order, they're going to do their best to fill it. GM's raising the cost on the Z51 because their suppliers can't keep up and they need additional suppliers.

Supply and demand, gents.

How unfair was it to General Motors that those same small dealers didn't support Corvette in 2012? If small dealers want to ride the wave, then they better do some of the paddling to get there like Kerbeck and MacMulkin did.

The cars are available, but it's not GM's fault that you may have to go to lengths getting one in your driveway. That's your local dealer's fault for not stepping up and working to sell a car that wasn't selling itself like C6 in 2012.

don't know why but i'll enter the fray on this one. . .I certainly understand the allocation system and the "big guys" supporting GM because they've already made a name for themselves and can sell 300 vettes. . .but that same system stifles the little guys. . .how can they sell a lot of vettes when the big guys NOT ONLY get a lot of direct orders BUT ALSO are given allocation for 40 vettes sitting in their lot as dealer stock when the guy down the street can't even get a direct order for a client who's got cash in hand begging for one like the OP. I'm sorry, but the allocation system needs to change so that ALL sold orders are produced before dealer stock. that's just common sense i'd say.

I placed my Z51 order with my hometown Chevy dealer, from whom I had purchase 6 new Corvettes over the years and a number of other Chevrolet branded vehicles back in August of '13. By February of 2014, GM had not picked up the order to build the car with the options I wanted (Z51 being the major constraint issue). I placed an order with a high volume Corvette dealer on 2-14-14, cancelled my order with my local dealer, with regret - - - but he just could not get the allocation that allowed building ther car as I wanted. One month after placing my order with the high volume Corvette dealer, I goit a TPW of 4-7-14 and I got the car, exactly as I wanted it equipped on 4-21-14. Great Car and I'm glad I did not compromise my option selections and settle for something less than what I wanted. Unfortunately, while the car is 'hot', ya gotta go with the volume dealers to score on the options that are constrained.

Every local dealer is not a "Podunk" as you stated. My local dealer got me my C7 early in October, they also put me on the Z06 list, without any deposit whatsoever. I will have their second allocated Z06. They are a distant four miles from my home.

I was at the factory watching my convertible 3lt z51 get built on Monday 5/12 and tuesday. Well over 50% of the cars going down the line were z51. I also ordered my car from my small local dealer and got lucky. They only sold 3 stingrays so far.

Anybody who knows me know I am a Mustang guy, I still have 2, a 2005 GT, a 1987 5.0 and my 75 year old father has a 13 5.0.

I just traded my 11 GT500 Vert for the C7.

Do not miss out on this new Vette, either wait for a Z51 or buy a Base suspension. This car is the tightest sports car I have owned, cars such as a 2007 Porsche 911, 2008 Mercedes C63 AMG, a 2001 Viper GTS, 2007 C6 Z06, 2008 C6 Z51, and a 2011 C6 coupe.

I have a completely Base except for automatic C7 Convertible, no car I have ever owned is this tight and comfortable at speed.

Don't bite off your nose to spite your face, you will thank me later.

The Carbon Fiber dash doesn't need to be a deal breaker. Just order it online or at the parts counter from your local Chevy Dealer (approximately $500), and either install it yourself, or pay the dealer to do it. Either way, will cost less than if ordered with the car. I found a Z51 3LT in the color I wanted at a local dealer however it didn't have the CF dash. So I ordered it from my dealer and installed it myself! Saved a bunch of money too! Win-Win!

Bummer on the Z51, but are you really going to track it. You could just as easily add the Z51 sway bars. Re the CF dash, can't you buy it for $500 and install it your self? Saving almost $500.

Think outside the box, or make lenonade out of these lemons.

"I have a completely Base except for automatic C7 Convertible, no car I have ever owned is this tight and comfortable at speed.

Don't bite off your nose to spite your face, you will thank me later."


Well put! :thumbs:

I've posted a number of times reguarding the allocation system. Talking directly to GM, they agree that the system is flawed and not fair. It's one thing to give the huge numbers of allocations to the big boys, but not to fill SOLD orders. There are cars with the Z51 option sitting in dealers inventory. Is that fair to the people who put down a cash deposit and ordered their car? It's tireing to read "you should of gone to a forum dealer". Wake up GM, be fair and fill those sold orders too.