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Feed America First, in partnership with the National Corvette Museum, will host a food distribution on Saturday, January 15, 2022, to serve those affected by the recent tornados in the Bowling Green area.

Traffic guide of food distribution.

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Sitting alongside our tent was a beautiful C8, wrapped bumper to bumper in Platinum Matte PPF. The C8 turns heads all by itself, but even more so with our eye-catching Matte finish that either transforms glossy paint or blends in with flat factory paint.

Visitors got an up-close look at installation demonstrations by one of our technical experts and were able to witness the care and precision used to apply our newest product, LLumar Valor. It’s an innovative film that does the work of two popular protective products for auto paint: PPF and ceramic coating. This was a common question we received … which is better? Our team educated the audience on different benefits each one offers – PPF for self-healing impact protection against rock chips and surface scratches, and ceramic coating for high gloss and hydrophobicity (water resistance) for easy-cleaning properties. You can imagine the excitement for Vette lovers, discovering you don’t have to choose one over the other because Valor delivers features of both in a single product.

Travelers asked us how they could find a dealer back at home, and we directed them to our handy dealer locator found on LLumar.com (select Paint Protection Film and simply enter a zip code).

People also wondered if we had an installer onsite at the Corvette Museum, which as of now we do not. For Vette owners in the Bowling Green area, we are working to have a local LLumar dealer offer PPF services so stay tuned. Until then, dealers can be found not too far away in Portland and Nashville, TN and in Louisville and Somerset, KY.

If you attended the event in-person, thanks for spending time with us! To all Corvette and LLumar PPF fans, if you have a question or comment in general, we’d love to hear from you. Drop a note anytime to Jacob Motley at jmotley@eastman.com.

Don’t forget to check out LLumar on Facebook and Instagram.

Words: LLumar, the preferred paint protection film (PPF) for the National Corvette Museum

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Spande reiterated that there are 12 exterior paint colors available for 2022. The BGA Paint Shop started with the capability to do ten colors and now can handle twelve. In 2017, when the paint shop addition was complete, the factory practically doubled in size. The BGA Paint Shop is now 800,000 square feet, and has three floors, nineteen vertical displacement lifts, 51 robots, 240 employees, three-panel suppliers, and Axalta paint! All paints are formulated to be applied in the BGA Paint Shop. The BGA Paint Shop does not share paint with anyone!

The Bowling Green Assembly Plant conducts daily crater testing on every employee that enters the BGA Paint Shop. Crater testing detects potential contaminants that may result from specific personal hygiene products, detergents, perfumes, etc. Plant employees wear blue suits, hats, and/or hair nets that further protect panels from lint or dirt. The employees walk through an air shower to remove lint from their coveralls and walk on a sticky mat to remove dirt and dust from the bottom of their shoes.

Spande also went over the process flow of the BGA Paint Shop that includes body washers, a prime oven, wet sanding, a color oven, a blackout oven, panel unload, and more. The panels are painted in the same position as they would be on the completed Corvette. One of the main reasons that Corvettes have such amazing paint jobs is because of the wet sanding done within the process. Spande shared that this is an industry-leading process and a big reason as to why there is such a great finish on the vehicle.

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The Corvette Team strives to attract new customers while also retaining loyalists. They are doing well at attracting a new generation with two-thirds of buyers being new to Chevrolet, having doubled growth with Generation X, growth in sales to Generation Y, and the highest Corvette loyalty since 2014. Charles encouraged current Corvette enthusiasts to graciously welcome the new generation of Corvette lovers that are starting to come along!

Charles then moved on to what is to come in 2022! Back at the 2021 Michelin NCM BASH, they announced three new paint colors: Hypersonic Gray Metallic, Amplify Orange Tintcoat, and Caffeine Metallic. This makes a total of 12 colors for the 2022 line. Back at BASH, they also announced the new low-profile spoiler that is available for the 2022 models. Charles mentioned again that this new spoiler is available without the Z51 performance package.

Earlier in the summer, the 2023 Z06 was announced. Charles shared a couple of exciting promotion videos, including one that shared that October 26th, 2021, is the OFFICIAL reveal date for the new 2023 Z06. The Corvette Team has been doing testing for the 2023 Z06 across America and Europe and are overly excited to show everyone the new car!

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Zach working on the 1979 Development Engineering Corvette.

At the National Corvette Museum’s 27th Anniversary Event, Derek E. Moore, Director of Collections and Curator, joined Zach Bredfield, Preservation Intern, to discuss “Rebuilding the 1979 Engineering Development Corvette.” Bredfield was the 2021 Summer Preservation Intern from McPherson College, located in Kansas. Bredfield is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Automotive Restoration with an emphasis in History. Zach, influenced by his grandfather’s passion for cars, has been a Corvette fan since he was a child.

During his internship, one of the many projects he was assigned to was working on the 1979 Engineering Development Corvette. When Zach arrived at the Museum back in May, the body and frame were separated, but the cracked front fender had already been repaired. Some of the tasks Bredfield performed himself were mating the body to the chassis, fully installing all interior components, touching up the paint, wet sanding, and polishing the entire car.

The collections team set out to preserve the 1979 Corvette and not necessarily restore it. The team guided Bredfield in the preservation process, and Bredfield quickly learned that it is a different process from the restoration. This allowed him to develop stronger mechanical skills. On the last day of Bredfield internship, they were able to install a new engine. The engine used was as close as possible to the original, but they were able to use many original parts that were periodically appropriate.

1979 Development Engineering Corvette being revealed.

During Bredfield’s preservation internship, he was exposed to many different opportunities. He was able to attend the Cincinnati Concours, deliver a car to Washing D.C., and attend the Keeneland Concours. He also spent time learning how to revive cars, perform car show prep, shutdown procedures, and Museum level conservation. Bredfield found it to be extremely educational and fun to be exposed to a new level of work that he had never been exposed to prior. Bredfield is now able to be a voice at his college about museums and preservation methods because of his time spent at the NCM. The preserved 1979 Corvette was unveiled during the presentation to show Zach and the team’s beautiful work!

The entire seminar is available to event registrants and members on the members-only section of the website.

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Jordan mentions that there are three main objectives that they have to consider with the new LT2 engine. Those things are performance, enhanced track capability, and the new mid-engine architecture. With performance, it’s about improving the legendary LT1 engine capability for Horsepower and Torque; for enhanced track capability, it’s about meeting aggressive handling targets from the beginning and significant engine engineering, and the new mid-engine positions and design considerations are components for the new architecture.

Several things are new with the LT2 exhaust manifold in the mid-engine Corvette. From the four-into-one twisted header design, upswept runners to empower mid-engine layout, and now fabricated instead of cast to help with mass savings, and more, all created significant engineering challenges that need to be optimized for all considerations. Jordan mentions that there are also several benefits because of this new manifold, like sound quality, and even recommends that you should try the “double paddle pull” neutral rev and that “you will love it!”​

The new LT2 engine was not without its challenges. The mid-engine Corvette has a lower engine position, enabling a lower center of gravity for the vehicle while also allowing it to be directly mounted to the engine to the DCT. This results in the engine being now 25mm closer to the ground than ever before.

Jordan refers to the new engine as a “jewel”, now that it is visible ​
through the rear hatch glass. To add to the aesthetics, the engine also features molded-in crossed flags​, the addition of “Venthan Red” rocker covers​, textured exhaust heat shields​, and a stylized engine cover​. Careful attention was paid to all visible components.

Other significant updates include an aluminum hub balancer, a new starter to manage a revised flywheel ratio​, a new direct-injection fuel pump, and more.

Jordan also shared with the group that at Mark Reuss’ request, Tonawanda would be recognized with a “pride badge” on the LT2 which pays homage to the design of historic badge references used in the 1960s by Tonawanda.

The full seminar is available on the members-only section of the website to event registrants and Museum members.

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24 at 20: Honoring Earnhardt, Corvette, and the Overall Win at Daytona exhibit is now open until December 31, 2021.

During the round table, hosted by Associate Curator Bob Bubnis, the trio discussed working with Dale Earnhardt in leading up to the race, the race itself, and the emotions they all felt after his passing.

Having a portion of the team back together, 20 years later, the stories shared were funny, emotional, and personal. Gary Claudio shared, “Dale was the guy who appreciated the friendships he had, and he was a man of his word. Dale was a man’s man, a loving father, a great husband, and a great race car driver, and behind the wheel, he was a natural.”

After seeing the iconic “Pilgrim Pass” Claudio exclaimed that Earnhardt called him and said, “is that the guy I’m gonna be driving with?!” Later, in a letter sent to Pilgrim from Earnhardt, he congratulated him on his win at the Petite LeMans at Road Atlanta. Also, on an episode of RPM tonight, Pilgrim was shocked that Earnhardt wanted to talk about Corvette more than he did Talledega. Claudio added that “Dale drank the Corvette Kool-aid.”

Fehan shared with the group that Earnhardt was a little concerned about having a four-person driver team for each car. Fehan encouraged him to give it a chance with four drivers; if he didn’t like it they would consider going to three. After the practice, Earnhardt admitted that four drivers were better than three, and he should probably go to the gym before the actual race. Earnhardt said to Fehan that he wanted to be treated like a “member of the team, just as everyone else was.”

In a second letter that Dale sent to Andy after the race, Dale called Andy one of his best friends. Just days later at the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale requested to speak with Andy, who was in the trailer with Teresa, Earnhardt’s wife. Andy shared that he wanted some advice for the race, but told him he needed no advice and would do great. We all know the tragic events that occurred during that race, and Andy was his last radio call, making it is something that he is very emotional about.

Paired perfectly with the discussion on September 2nd, 2021, a special exhibit, 24 at 20: Honoring Earnhardt, Corvette, and the Overall Win at Daytona, opened today in the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum and features the letters mentioned above, and more. This exhibit is on display until the end of the year.

To hear the stories shared in full, the entire seminar is available to event registrants and members on the members-only section of the website.

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Labor Day weekend brings end-of-summer backyard gatherings and barbecues, and this year we hope your plans include stopping by a very special event: the 27th Anniversary Celebration of the National Corvette Museum. If so, consider yourself invited to get to know LLumar®, the preferred Paint Protection Film of NCM. Our booth will be located outside of the Museum near the NCM logo circle drive. Just look for the happy visitors getting cool LLumar swag! Not to mention, there will be a sleek beautiful C8 on display, fully wrapped in PPF Platinum Matte.

Let’s Talk

We’re sure to have at least this in common: a mutual distaste for all things that can sabotage auto paint! We’ll be ready to chat about and demo what LLumar PPF can do to help protect your beloved Vette. Just make plans to attend sometime during this 3-day event. And if you find you can’t squeeze it into your long holiday weekend plans, you can connect with a professional dealer near you by simply visiting the link below. They’ll be able to help you choose the right product to upgrade your Vette’s finish and help keep it as pristine as possible.

Other Event Info

The LLumar booth opens Thursday, September 2, and will run through Saturday, September 4. The live demos are planned for both Friday and Saturday, starting around 2:30 pm. We’re excited to meet the Corvette community and show you what LLumar PPF is all about!

Ready to protect your Corvette? Find a LLumar installer.

Check out LLumar on Facebook and Instagram.

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