Car shopping

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
08/24/2016 at 12:54 • Filed to: None

tree fell on vibe, need cheap work vehicle, can’t find an Element I like, am considering HHR panel. not a good car by any means, but can has with stick, and would maybe be ok to mile out in only a few years. Only thinking panel, because sedan delivery is cool. regular one is just a chev pt cuiser, but panel is so cool.

found one like this, not an ss, don’t think those are a thing. manual, 2.4 with heated leather, the whole bit, low miles but not cheap. there’s a decent white automatic 2.2 in town for sale, but I’d probably regret getting a gm slusher/four combo, it’s not my bag.

putting on my personal protective equipment, you may now throw things at me. I’ve been warned that after a long string of japanese cars I won’t like the hhr. but I loved my saturn wagon, which was clearly not designed as a wagon. (rear suspension very un wagon like, car was super twisty compared to a sedan.)

DISCUSSION (30)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 12:58

SS Panel or bust.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
08/24/2016 at 13:01

already have ss emblems from wrecker in my collection. manual panel or bust.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:01

You can find SS ones with a stick, but I feel a panel stick SS will be a unicorn.

The good thing is just about all of the aftermarket Cobalt suspension parts out there can be used on HHRs, if you so desire.

I would vote finding an SS, just because they can be a wicked sleeper because no one is going to expect a HHR to have a turbo. A tune and downpipe can get them to 300hp fairly easy.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
08/24/2016 at 13:04

no ss panels, some “half panels” which I just found out are a thing. Never seen one, maybe a “not in canada” special. those can has SS

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
08/24/2016 at 13:05

something like this

Kinja'd!!!

61hp > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:10

Sounds like there were somewhere between 216 and 260 panel SS made in 2009, the only year they were available. Not sure how many were full panels vs half panels, but maybe that is the difference in the numbers I found, and no details on how many manuals.

For some unknown reason I have a soft spot for HHR Panels, especially in SS trim. One of my neighbors as a half panel non-SS, and it puts a smile on my face whenever I see it.

jjhats > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:16

they did make very few SS full panels. I should note half panels are so stupid and don’t accomplish anything a normal one wouldnt

Dru > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:22

*flamesuit on*

I think the HHR panel will be kind of a classic in years to come. Kind of like the best version of a more or less terrible car.

Dave the car guy , still here > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:32

Just to let you know one of my black friends nicknamed those “Honky Holdin’ Reefer” because many of our dealership customers who owned them were aging hippies. Thought you might find this amusing.

If you should get one be prepared to replace some sway bar links and control arm bushings, very common. Moog makes an improved bushing over the original if you don’t want to replace them more than once.

shop-teacher > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:49

The world needs more panel vans. I approve of this plan.

punkgoose17 > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:57

I saw a half panel. I did not think it was factory. I thought it must have been a door swap.

punkgoose17 > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 13:58

HHR’s have horrible seats. Check if the SS has better seats. Even if you get a regular panel swap in SS seats to make your life less painful.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Dave the car guy , still here
08/24/2016 at 14:20

aging honky hippe here, so your friend is very astute. most people around here are aging honky something.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > punkgoose17
08/24/2016 at 14:21

this one has the power, heated etc, leather seats.

Dave the car guy , still here > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 14:41

Aging honky ex-surfer/skier/ rock n roller here so its all good :)

punkgoose17 > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 15:29

That is nice. My experience was a rental spec vehicle.

Chasaboo > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 16:24

We had an HHR here at work, and it took all of 3 years for the warehouse guys to destroy it. Maybe if you’re easier on it, the beast will last longer.

Chasaboo > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 16:25

Ha! I’m beyond aging, I’ve aged.

The Stig's former college room mate > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 17:24

HHR SS Panel, turbo, 5 speed. Debadge and go screw with mustangs at stop lights.

daender > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 20:39

Former HHR owner/autocrosser chiming in:

Interior quality is as bad as you expect it to be. It’s like Playschool/McDonalds PlayPen levels of plastic...and the texturing doesn’t help. That said, it’s stupid-easy to clean up.

2.4 > 2.2. I got by with the 2.2L for autox and in my highschool/college DD but the 2.4 would’ve been a lot nicer to have to help it’s heavy ass get up to speeds a lot sooner.

The rear seats are bleh. Mine was a base model 2.2, by the way. Gray cloth interior but pops wisely put Hawaiian-themed (hey, this car started its life as a Hawaiian rental!) seat covers over it.

Mine had CV joints that were starting to click under heaving cornering so it was a sign they were going to be due soon if I kept racing it. I’m sure end links and whatever were due soon as well.

Kinja'd!!!

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 20:44

For some stupid reason, I want a HHR SS half-panel, in probably that stupid purple color or something obnoxious they came in. I’m not sure if the SS ever came in the half-panel, and I think those were incredibly rare to begin with... but I want one. With a manual, only.

They’re really not great inside. The SS is better, and that’s largely the seats. The roof is pretty short, the visibility just mediocre, the plastic is everywhere and not great (at all) to touch. But as far as, “it works, and it hauls sh*t,” it certainly qualifies and gets decent mileage. The acceleration should be at least ok with a 2.4 and a manual. But like I said, the SS is better. And that applies to ride quality, and not feeling like you’re trying to corner a pirate ship, too.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > daender
08/24/2016 at 20:55

Fun! ulikely autocrosser. I’m aware of the cheapness, old bodyman, you should see one taken apart THAT looks even cheaper. Not looking for world’s finest car, just a manual wagonny-thing. One of my autocrossing buddies has tracked his grand am and his 81 malibu “iraqi taxi” both horrible trackmobiles, but run what you brung.

daender > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 20:59

I’m not old in the slightest, so I dunno what you’re trying to say there. :B

It’s a reliable DD for the years my parents and I had it. If you don’t mind the bland and somewhat lower-than-standard GM interior quality, then it’s a hard to kill cockroach. It only threw a single CEL, it was something fuel-injection related, over it’s 70k miles of service that included driving from LA to Myrtle Beach (not all at once, but it did cover Vegas to Sumter in about 4 days).

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
08/24/2016 at 21:00

Going from a 2010 vibe, which is subjectivley a “good” car, which I was never in love with. to a subjectively “bad” car that I only like because funky panel van version. But cheap, slow cars must be stick. I like 4 bangers for dailys but 4 auto is not my bag. Only discovered half panel was a thing this morning.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > daender
08/24/2016 at 21:03

Oh no, I’m old. or rapidly approaching it.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > daender
08/24/2016 at 21:05

And I hate GM with a passion after 15 years of fixing their doorhandles etc. You might say Doorhandle is like my middle name. That mastery was hard earned, paid in blood, and taught to me by chevy/gmc

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 21:28

They’re not so “bad” with a manual. My new dd is a 4cyl 6speed truck, I am realizing the appeal.

I worked at a Chevy dealership when HHRs were a thing, I remember the first one we got, even. It was rare to see a panel then, and I think we only ever had one half-pan. I would be interested to see the production numbers on how many panels, half-pans, and SS versions were even built.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 21:30

“As with other GM Performance Division-developed vehicles, the HHR SS was validated on Germany’s famed Nürburgring racing circuit, where it set a new lap record of 8:43.52 minutes for its class, besting the previous record of 8:54.38 held by the Opel Zafira OPC.”

It’s really not a bad performer, even stock.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
08/24/2016 at 22:13

what’s your new truck? I’ve got four under the hood four on the floor. six would be so nice.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
08/24/2016 at 22:27

Kinja'd!!!

2015 Colorado. Yes, I did have to order it this way myself. :P It has managed to win a roll race against a Porsche (944), does ok at autox, and I’m averaging what I consider pretty awesome mpg... about 24.5 over the first 20k miles.