Remember me from last year?
04-14-2014, 04:49 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-12-2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 8
Remember me from last year?
So I'm not sure if you all remember, but I crashed my 2007 HHR LT due to ice last aprilish time. (lack of ABS breaks, inexperiencedish driver, solid ice, slid into parked car, only was going 25 though!, at least before my brakes locked up and I slid down a hill) The car suffered a great deal, and due to lack of coverage on my insurance plan (Parent's pay for my insurance, part of our I pay for college you pay my insurance deal) I was in a sticky situation with a small bank account.
This last photo is a close up of the passenger bumper bar mount. It's pretty much not there anymore.
Basically the extent of the damage was the frame was bent like crazy around the engine, The radiator and condenser was punctured (The hood latch went through them) Headlight was shattered, Hood was bent so it couldn't close, bumper was practically split in two, the fender was bent out of wack, the coolant hose was punctured, and the reservoir tank was punctured and it's mount was broken. Not to mention the damage to the bumper structure. It's pretty much a rap.
So after a month of trying to figure out what I should do with the car, bumming rides off of friends, and sleepless nights. I got a job offer at a camp in Tennessee for the summer as a camp counselor.(I live in Michigan) This kind of being a life long dream for me, I realized I needed to have a car, and affording a new one was outta my budget. I had maybe a month or two to piece together my ride in a safe enough matter that would allow me to drive it there. Part of my job was helping our campers work on projects in the community of rural TN. So I drove on average of 100-150 miles a day. So not having a car was not an option.
Immediately me and Dad went to work. First step, seeing if we could bend the frame back into somewhat of a usable shape. So this involved hooking up my Dad's F150(Yes, I know. Ford? Really? I'm not a fan. He's the only Non-GM Driver in the family. But he loves it.)
You can see by the first picture how badly the radiator is twisted and how bad the metal looks. We spent a good amount of time nicely pulling the car back into shape. it came out in good enough where we were able to fit body panels back on the car, and allow mounting another radiator.
Once the frame was back, it was time to see if it was even gonna run. We couldn't get the car to start, and thought maybe it was because an airbag sensor of sorts was going off telling the ECU not to turn on. (We're not super advanced mechanics, but we can do what we needa to get it done.. minus the fancy terms) When I had gotten in my accident the car shut off immediately. My Airbag didn't deploy, however we thought maybe the passenger one had. (Passenger seat was empty so airbag wouldn't go off) We figured that if we reset the ECU, it would start.
We we're right.
From there we tested the passenger seat with cinder blocks to make sure the airbag wouldn't go off. Because the bumper was so far pushed in we thought maybe the sensor might still be "turned on" per say. But it didn't.
From there we identified engine bay parts we needed, a new radiator, and a new hose would have to do, I was a college kid on a budget, and I didn't need AC, right?
The Radiator came and was installed with a new hose, We chucked the condenser, but then put it back on for looks. (and it actually works 10% at 25% of the time!) The reservoir was glued back together. (puncture at the top) and only leaks when it's past 3/4's full. The car ran! we could drive it and it wouldn't over heat. Cool, now it was time to piece back the body parts.
First was the necessity. We were able to bend the hood down enough that it latched and was drivable, but I needed a headlight and a fender to mount it to. So I ordered this and installed it. and the results were like this.
and with the hood closed a few days later
I drove it for a bit and then installed a bumper and managed to scam a cheap hood from a salvage yard.
Installing the hood
the result
This was taken a few weeks later, right before I left, (lack of snow in the background)
I was so enthusiastic with the result. The car performed fine. The hood sat a little ****eyed because of the frame (there's about a inch-2 inch gap between the hood and frame on the passenger side.)
I wanted to plastic dip it all one color before I left, but I ran outta time. I bought a set of HHR tires and rims from a guy off ebay that were about half way through their life (My car was running on slicks) and headed off to Tennessee.
I even did this to my interior to help me navigate the roads in TN, it was just a budget build, but it worked great!
Also installed aftermarket door speakers myself my Dad got me as a present
Unfortunately I faced a a bit of a fender bender in Tennessee. Not enough to so serious damage, but my hood and bumper were cracked/Bent ever so slightly. (Someone slammed on their brakes for a squirrel on a back road. My tires and the loaded down vehicle did not.)
Because of this, I haven't put anymore money into the car than I have had to. I've had the normal wear and tear problems, have CV joints in the garage right now that I need to put on this weekend. Bought new tires in October. just routine thins.
But nonetheless. I have driven roughly 25,000 miles since this incident. The car has gotten me through a lot of memories. I love it so. I just landed a new full time salary position and am thinking about possibly buying a new one soon. I don't think I can stray away from the HHR's. Not with the memories I have tied in it. Plus the amount of knowledge I have on the insides and outs of it doesn't hurt either.
If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading. This is kind of my emotional soap box story about my car. I love it dearly. I can't wait to see what the future holds with any future HHR.
Thanks!
Dakota
This last photo is a close up of the passenger bumper bar mount. It's pretty much not there anymore.Basically the extent of the damage was the frame was bent like crazy around the engine, The radiator and condenser was punctured (The hood latch went through them) Headlight was shattered, Hood was bent so it couldn't close, bumper was practically split in two, the fender was bent out of wack, the coolant hose was punctured, and the reservoir tank was punctured and it's mount was broken. Not to mention the damage to the bumper structure. It's pretty much a rap.
So after a month of trying to figure out what I should do with the car, bumming rides off of friends, and sleepless nights. I got a job offer at a camp in Tennessee for the summer as a camp counselor.(I live in Michigan) This kind of being a life long dream for me, I realized I needed to have a car, and affording a new one was outta my budget. I had maybe a month or two to piece together my ride in a safe enough matter that would allow me to drive it there. Part of my job was helping our campers work on projects in the community of rural TN. So I drove on average of 100-150 miles a day. So not having a car was not an option.
Immediately me and Dad went to work. First step, seeing if we could bend the frame back into somewhat of a usable shape. So this involved hooking up my Dad's F150(Yes, I know. Ford? Really? I'm not a fan. He's the only Non-GM Driver in the family. But he loves it.)
You can see by the first picture how badly the radiator is twisted and how bad the metal looks. We spent a good amount of time nicely pulling the car back into shape. it came out in good enough where we were able to fit body panels back on the car, and allow mounting another radiator. Once the frame was back, it was time to see if it was even gonna run. We couldn't get the car to start, and thought maybe it was because an airbag sensor of sorts was going off telling the ECU not to turn on. (We're not super advanced mechanics, but we can do what we needa to get it done.. minus the fancy terms) When I had gotten in my accident the car shut off immediately. My Airbag didn't deploy, however we thought maybe the passenger one had. (Passenger seat was empty so airbag wouldn't go off) We figured that if we reset the ECU, it would start.
We we're right.
From there we tested the passenger seat with cinder blocks to make sure the airbag wouldn't go off. Because the bumper was so far pushed in we thought maybe the sensor might still be "turned on" per say. But it didn't.
From there we identified engine bay parts we needed, a new radiator, and a new hose would have to do, I was a college kid on a budget, and I didn't need AC, right?
The Radiator came and was installed with a new hose, We chucked the condenser, but then put it back on for looks. (and it actually works 10% at 25% of the time!) The reservoir was glued back together. (puncture at the top) and only leaks when it's past 3/4's full. The car ran! we could drive it and it wouldn't over heat. Cool, now it was time to piece back the body parts.
First was the necessity. We were able to bend the hood down enough that it latched and was drivable, but I needed a headlight and a fender to mount it to. So I ordered this and installed it. and the results were like this.
and with the hood closed a few days later
I drove it for a bit and then installed a bumper and managed to scam a cheap hood from a salvage yard.
Installing the hood
the result
This was taken a few weeks later, right before I left, (lack of snow in the background)
I was so enthusiastic with the result. The car performed fine. The hood sat a little ****eyed because of the frame (there's about a inch-2 inch gap between the hood and frame on the passenger side.)
I wanted to plastic dip it all one color before I left, but I ran outta time. I bought a set of HHR tires and rims from a guy off ebay that were about half way through their life (My car was running on slicks) and headed off to Tennessee.
I even did this to my interior to help me navigate the roads in TN, it was just a budget build, but it worked great!
Also installed aftermarket door speakers myself my Dad got me as a present
Unfortunately I faced a a bit of a fender bender in Tennessee. Not enough to so serious damage, but my hood and bumper were cracked/Bent ever so slightly. (Someone slammed on their brakes for a squirrel on a back road. My tires and the loaded down vehicle did not.)
Because of this, I haven't put anymore money into the car than I have had to. I've had the normal wear and tear problems, have CV joints in the garage right now that I need to put on this weekend. Bought new tires in October. just routine thins.
But nonetheless. I have driven roughly 25,000 miles since this incident. The car has gotten me through a lot of memories. I love it so. I just landed a new full time salary position and am thinking about possibly buying a new one soon. I don't think I can stray away from the HHR's. Not with the memories I have tied in it. Plus the amount of knowledge I have on the insides and outs of it doesn't hurt either.
If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading. This is kind of my emotional soap box story about my car. I love it dearly. I can't wait to see what the future holds with any future HHR.
Thanks!
Dakota
04-14-2014, 05:07 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-04-2012
Location: Dedham Maine
Posts: 1,545
WOW what a story :) Glad it all worked out in the end.. There are some good deals on HHR;s out there,, II help my son get a 2011 ww/30k on it and he loves it. His is Red mine is Blue now I need a white one lol...Good luck with your new job
04-14-2014, 05:51 PM
#4
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,804
Very nice. And as mentioned, really a good learning experience in many ways.
Question........the front tires.....are they wearing excessively? The "smack" you got to the front end would suggest some suspension/alignment work.
Question........the front tires.....are they wearing excessively? The "smack" you got to the front end would suggest some suspension/alignment work.
04-14-2014, 05:57 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-12-2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 8
Thanks to all three of you!
Suspension/alignment work is an understatement. I'm just trying to keep it drive-able for the next few years within budget.
Just replaced the control arms and bushings, CV Joints and Tie rods are next up.
Car doesn't pull. The CV joints are making noise now, (reason I'm replacing them).
In my mind, the less i spend on the car and the more i put in a bank account, the more i have for a down payment on a new car when this one is done.
Suspension/alignment work is an understatement. I'm just trying to keep it drive-able for the next few years within budget.
Just replaced the control arms and bushings, CV Joints and Tie rods are next up.
Car doesn't pull. The CV joints are making noise now, (reason I'm replacing them).
In my mind, the less i spend on the car and the more i put in a bank account, the more i have for a down payment on a new car when this one is done.
Great write-up, and good work bringing it back from the dead.
04-16-2014, 11:27 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-12-2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 8
Thanks to all who have read through! I learned much about the car, and am extremely excited for the new one. (One Day)
and yes, I learned alot during this process that I may never have in my life. I have always been a car enthusiast. But this situation has given me a new found respect for the trade.
Plus I'm starting to learn when the mechanic shops are trying to screw ya, caught a few already myself
and yes, I learned alot during this process that I may never have in my life. I have always been a car enthusiast. But this situation has given me a new found respect for the trade.
Plus I'm starting to learn when the mechanic shops are trying to screw ya, caught a few already myself