
For $5k, Chevy Will Let You Assemble Your Corvette Z06’s Engine Yourself (2015) - rmason
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/for-5000-chevy-will-let-you-assemble-your-corvette-z06s-engine-yourself
======
chrissnell
When I did the rebuild [1] of my 1987 Land Rover Defender 110, I did it
through a shop that ran a special program where owners could rebuild/repower
their Defenders under the tutelage of the shop owner. In fact, the build was
so dependent on my labor that I, as the customer, had to sign a contract that
I would complete my part of the bargain in a timely manner or else I would
have to pay him his hourly rate to complete it for me.

It turned out to be an amazing experience. I stripped the truck down to a bare
frame and built a brand-new rolling chassis [2] with new motor [3],
transmission, transfer case, and suspension. I moved the old body over onto
the new chassis, which gave it a sort of retro look with proper period-correct
gear but the reliability of all-new parts. The shop owner was there to direct
me what to start on next, to answer questions when I got stuck, and to help me
lift the really heavy things, but for the most part, I wrenched alone.

Over eight weekends of work, I went from knowing how to do only the most basic
of maintenance (oil changes, etc.) to being quite confident that I could do
another project just like this entirely on my own. The cost was about the same
as paying someone else to do the work but I can be confident that everything
was done right--every bolt torqued correctly, every dirty thing cleaned, every
broken thing replaced. I take my truck out to the desert for multi-week
camping trips and the experience gave me much-needed confidence in my ability,
my tools, and my gear.

[1]
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/albums/721576407048...](https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/albums/72157640704807135)

[2]
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/13052224614/in/albu...](https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/13052224614/in/album-72157640704807135/lightbox/)

[3]
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/12399960314/in/albu...](https://www.flickr.com/photos/defender90/12399960314/in/album-72157640704807135/)

~~~
adanto6840
I'm super intrigued by this -- almost surely over my (non oil-changing) level
by far, but would still be interested in more info on it.

Is it something that is advertised by the shop? In what location (or region)
was this? What was the expectation in terms of timeframe, and how many hours
were you typically putting into the project in any given week? If you're
comfortable, shop info/specifics would be great but no worries if not.

Awesome outcome BTW, and is something you can be very proud of and continually
enjoy -- love it!

~~~
swozey
I'm not Op but I'll bet that this was probably a shop run by an owner big in
the Land Rover/offroading community. Working on Land Rovers is probably his
favorite hobby and he can cut breaks for people that will probably get into
the community more.

The offroading community is huge and tight knit.

~~~
chrissnell
In my case, the shop was still very new and the owner wanted to get into
restorations (he was in the parts biz). After my project, he took on a few
more owner-builds but now primarily focuses on doing resto jobs himself for
his customers.

------
larrydag
I visited the Bowling Green, KY factory for a tour. It is one of the most
interesting tours I've ever attended. Some other tidbits about the Engine
Build. You get to build as much or as little as you want of the engine.
They'll put a metal decal on the engine saying it was built by the owner with
your name.

Also if you visit the factory make sure you visit the Corvette museum across
the road. The most interesting thing about that museum is a good section of it
was swallowed up by a sinkhole. Many corvettes were swallowed up. Most were
restored but several were totaled to disrepair. You can see them on display
and shed a tear. There is a good section of the museum dedicated to the
sinkhole mishap.

~~~
skookumchuck
It's the generic trouble with museums - concentrating all the irreplaceable
stuff in one location. Like the Library of Alexandria.

~~~
labster
The alternative is that information is not discoverable, like old letters
found in attics and ancient Egyptian tombs. Finally, with the advent of a the
digital age, we can make data easy to find and have off-site backups. Still no
good solution for physical artifacts, though.

------
pjc50
Ironic that the DIY option is more expensive. I'm reminded of the British "kit
car" scene, which started as a tax dodge for the Lotus 7:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven)

"Under the Purchase Tax system of the time cars supplied as a kit (known as
"completely knocked down" or CKD) did not attract the tax surcharge that would
apply if sold in assembled form. Tax rules specified assembly instructions
could not be included, but as the rules said nothing about the inclusion of
disassembly instructions, they were included instead and all the enthusiast
had to do was to follow them in reverse.[citation needed] However, once the UK
joined the EEC on 1 January 1973, the VAT system was adopted instead so the
tax advantage of the kit-built Lotus Seven came to an end."

The car is still sold as the Caterham 7, still available in kit form.

~~~
csours
FYI, Auto manufacturers still have S/CKD plants, where a previously assembled
vehicle is re-assembled.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock-
down_kit#Automotive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock-down_kit#Automotive)

------
userbinator
There's an interesting contrast between the (traditional) automotive and
today's consumer electronics industries; ever since the early days of cars,
manufacturers have tolerated and even encouraged the growth of a large
aftermarket parts industry, to the point where you can build an entire
"Chrysler", "Ford", or "GM" driveline from the engine to the wheels with
entirely non-OEM parts. Of course, the manufacturers themselves will sell
parts to anyone who wants to buy them.

Contrast this with companies like Apple and Tesla, who attempt to maintain
tight control over their products and use legal action against those who want
to "open them up".

(From what I've seen, European and Asian automotive companies are somewhat
less open, but once again there is still a large aftermarket.)

~~~
twostoned
Yes and working on cars is a heck of a lot of fun as a result. Car modding and
tinkering is a huge hobby and from what I can tell only supports these brands
and the OEM sales. You need a Chevy in the first place to outfit it with 3rd
party high perf parts. Something will break as a result and you'll be back
buying more parts and investing even more in the GM/Chevy ecosystem. It's the
opposite of how record labels try to attack music 'pirates' who also tend to
spend more on music too. (Perhaps their love of music is what correlates high
piracy and high purchasing? Hmm)

It adds to the romanticism and involvement. The original GT40 Le Mans car from
the 60s that originally beat Ferrari was built from parts that you could go to
your local Ford dealer and order. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that if you had
enough money at the time you could actually buy all of the parts to build the
same .427 they were using in the professional races. Pretty cool.

~~~
mulmen
Do you have a source on this? It seems like an exceptional claim.

The GT40 was a bespoke race car built to settle a grudge. Henry Ford II wanted
to beat Enzo Ferrari at his own game after the sale of Ferrari to Ford fell
through. Ford failed to beat Ferrari in their early attempts with the GT40 and
the entire car went through several revisions to reach the LeMans winning
form. These were not typical parts and I would be surprised if they were
widely available.

Also, domestic US engine displacements were given in cubic inches. In this
case a Ford 7 liter engine is 427 (whole) cubic inches. A period is not
prefixed because it is not a fractional measure.

~~~
pryelluw
The 427 is an FE family engine, which was used in NASCAR. The engine used in
the gt40 was based in a NASCAR build of the engine (modified to handle right
turns ;) ).

Back then, you could order performance parts from dealerships and whole
engines. Could you walk in and order a gt40 engine? I have looked and have not
found a part number. However, some race engines did not have part numbers
because they were aftermarket parts.

~~~
gregpilling
You still can, and they have warranties.

[https://performanceparts.ford.com/engines/](https://performanceparts.ford.com/engines/)

[http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-
engines](http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines)

[http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/connect-cruise-
powertra...](http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/connect-cruise-powertrain-
systems) up to 727 horsepower, with transmission and electronics included and
ready to go. Connect and Cruise.

~~~
pryelluw
Those crate engines sure are a great deal. Back in the 90s you had to get an
aftermarket block, heads, crank, pistons, and rods for four that (not adjusted
for inflation) to even consider reliably making over 400hp on anything. I
remember saving money for an A4 Ford block sold by SVE. Never got it cause it
was about $2k and came bare and unfinished.

Nowadays, an LS crate engine and a smallish turbo can get you 600 wheel
horsepower on pump gas.

------
nimbius
speaking as a former drive train and engine mechanic for a luxury dealership,
this is a bad idea at best. Granted, the LS series engine is just a simple
pushrod iron behemoth, you're still asking for trouble.

My last place of employment wanted to do something similar, but it was shot
down by the owners once they determined that practically every shop insurance
provider flat-out said no. That $5000 fee is likely just for OSHA and your
insurance company to look the other way in a state where regulations arent so
stringent. All of us as vehicle techs also said no.

The average luxury customer isnt qualified to do much more than sit in the
waiting room and watch an episode or two of Ricky Lake. Luxury customers
betray an absolutely criminal lack of self control sometimes. Ive had
customers wander back into the shop to stand over my shoulder demanding to
know everything im doing and why. Ive had an old persian customer who demanded
to drive his car home that day and wouldnt leave the shop until I completed
the week long work. Ive also had wealthy couples leave their kids in the car.
Another customer demanded I never drive the car or sit in it. Point being:
anyone stupid enough to waste $5000 on the chance to work on an engine they
couldnt possibly understand on their own, isnt going to be someone you want in
a shop. Dynastic wealth leaves you with a Reaganomic level of competency.

The z06 is only an $84,000 car, but If i were the mechanic who had to deal
with $5000 tourists chasing piston return springs across the shop floor and
pulling main bearings out of their kids mouths, I'd do everything I could to
find a new job.

~~~
linsomniac
Tell it to Tavarish (
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuaOvUJOMa4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuaOvUJOMa4)
). :-)

This isn't targeted at the "average luxury consumer", it's targeted at someone
who is willing to spend $5K to do this as a vacation. I used to see a lot of
Corvettes at the autocross events, and that average owner knew more than a
thing or two about mechanicals.

Now, if this program was "You can _SAVE_ $5K by assembling your own engine.",
you are probably going to get a lot of idiots. The people willing to pay $5K
are probably going to be intense enthusiasts, and in my experience those
people could do this job.

Not all of them, of course. The kids that brought a GTR and a Sylvia to the
track for open track day, and then proceeded to be trounced by pretty much
everything else on the track, I wouldn't want putting together my engine. :-)
They weren't happy at not being able to keep up with Miatas in the hands of
very skilled drivers with R compound tires. :-)

------
skookumchuck
It's pricey, but I love this. Now, if only someone would let me build a Merlin
V12 :-)

~~~
mulmen
I had the opportunity to attend a series of private classes at a local air
museum. One of the sessions covered the engines in the planes and how they are
maintained today. The class format included a lecture and a hands-on exercise.
The hands-on exercise that night was a cam and rocker arm "replacement" on the
museum's Merlin engine. Someone else got to tear it down but I got the chance
to reinstall the cam and rocker arms. It was on a cutaway display engine so it
will never fly of course but still, it was a wonderful experience. I can
honestly say that I have installed the cam and rocker arms on a Merlin. Not
many people can do the same :)

~~~
kqr2
Which museum did you take the class at?

~~~
mulmen
The Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, WA.

------
matte_black
Does it hurt resale value if an engine was “owner built”?

~~~
exikyut
My guess is the plaque and "professional photos" are a way of demonstrating
that adequate and appropriate levels of attention have been paid to detail -
and also politely but firmly making the statement "now be nice and just fix
this."

So yes and no.

It will probably depend on a given recipient/vendor/repairer/whatever values
making a fuss of the customer over plain technical competency or not.

For want of a better want to articulate this, I've just realized that it
probably happens all the time for people with tons of money to like "helping"
with things, and cause irritating damage in the process.

(And that's not including every-day micro-manglement in some large proportion
of work environments everywhere in the world... or the client horror stories
everyone has...)

~~~
cfadvan
It probably can’t hurt the value more than the price of the engine itself.
It’s not like a kit car, where you have to worry about the entire body and
drivetrain, it’s one (very critical) component which can be yanked and
replaced or rebuilt. I suppose if someone really borked it, it might hurt the
value of the transmission as well?

------
rmason
Here's something I'm seriously tempted to do this summer. There's an auto
museum near Kalamazoo that offers a course on how to drive a Ford Model T. I
have no problem driving a traditional stick shift, but the Model T has three
levers on the floor and two on the steering wheel so it's a challenge!

[https://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/education/model-t-
driving-s...](https://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/education/model-t-driving-
school/)

------
csours
Does anyone know why "hand-built" is a desirable quality for an engine?
Several automakers advertise this for their top-of-the-line vehicles.

I know it makes for very good marketing, but is that it?

~~~
jac_no_k
Parts matching. Example, while the block and pistons are made to within
tolerances, it's possible to put together an engine with parts that mate well.

------
tomcooks
> Pay more to mess with the product you are buying and be able to brag about
> it at the pub!

Why not buy it used and fix it yourself? Cheaper, more fun, puts hair on your
chest, gives you proper bragging rights, puts marketing departments in their
place

~~~
userbinator
The cost could be considered as paying for the training and use of their
facilities, since it's not a "here's a room full of parts and the manual, now
do it yourself" type of thing.

------
exikyut
I look forward to people doing this and putting the photos and (presumably)
video online!

~~~
jballanc
It's not quite the same, but each year Hendrick Motorsports and Automotive
group have an engine building competition. You can watch some of the builds on
YouTube:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn1E9HgEaKo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn1E9HgEaKo)

------
tehlike
Factory five and superformance kits, i hear, are kind of a good experience to
complete.

------
bitL
How about assembling a complete kit car, like K1 Attack?

------
BillyParadise
Didn't they do this on Gas Monkey?

