2 Accessories you need
06-21-2008, 12:17 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
2 Accessories you need
I've been distracted by work lately so, when I logged onto chevyhhr.net today, the site's software kindly reminded me I hadn't posted in a while. Well...here goes.
I like to mildly accessorize all my cars. I'm not into serious customizing, but I am into mods which are good values and will improve the car's user-friendliness, its durability, performance and to a certain extent, it's appearance.
Several months after I purchased our HHR and turned it over to my Wife, the Fairest Sandra the Red, I acquired a few accessories from MacNeil Automotive Products. I'd put MacNeil's "Weathertech" products on some of the other cars we own and, based on my satisfaction with them, I put several on the HHR.
First, was a set of "LampGuards". These are tough, polyurethane headlamp protectors. Considering the cost of replacing the headlamp assemblies used on HHRs, Weathertech LampGuards make a lot of sense. In fact, not only do I have them on my HHR, but I put them on my Blazer ZR2 about 8 years ago and I put them on my 01 Camaro soon after I bought it. A LampGuard is a die-cut, peel-and-stick, 40-mil thick urethane overlay which you apply to the stock headlamp. They are semipermanent, meaning they can be removed with some difficulty, but they stick to the lamp very well. The key reason to use them is, because the soft urethane is a sort of like a "shock absorber", they significantly reduce the damage that plastic headlamps sustain as a result of small rocks, stones and gravel kicked up by other vehicles. In addtion, provided they are applied to a relatively new lamp assembly, they reduce the stock lamp's tendancy to turn frosty white or yellow, over time. LampGuards are easily applied by DIY's and take about 45 minutes to install. I wouldn't own a car with plastic headlamps that doesn't have LampGuards.
Second, I installed a full-set of Weathertech Side Window Deflectors. Again, my use of these was based on prior experience with them on my Blazer. Their are many aftermarket sources for door mounted wind deflectors, but I stick with Weathertech's products, in-spite of slightly higher cost, because 1) they're machined to size for an accurate fit, 2) they take minutes to install and 3) MacNeil usually offers two choices in tint level. I'll admit that adding these to my HHR didn't seem to make as great a reduction of wind "buffeting" when the windows are down as they did when I put them on the Blazer, but there was a difference and I attribute the lesser change to the fact that the HHR has diffrent aerodynamics and smaller window openings. I do like the distinctive appearance the Side Window Deflectors in the darker of the two tint choices gives our dark-blue HHR. It changes the look of the sides of the truck but in a modest way.
The last Weathertech accessory I've tried is perhaps the most useful to those driving the car and that's a set of FloorLiners. Again, my choice of these for the HHR was based on previous experience--a buddy of mine put them in his 2004 GMC Sierrra pickup. He drives 100s of miles a day between construction job-sites and the Floorliners have been amazingly durable in his "work-truck" duty cycle. I also have them in my Blazer and they work great, especially with I go off-road with it. In the HHR, the main attraction of FloorLiners is that, during the week, as the Fairest Sandra the Red uses the truck to comute to work and run errands, we can trap all the dirt and stuff that gets tracked into the truck in the Floorliners then remove them, dump all the dirt out then pop them back in. No vacuuming! Easy to clean...we like that. Also, if we want to take the truck to a show, we can remove the floorliners and replace the stock mats and have that like-new appearance. Yep...Floorliners...cool product!
So there you have it, three Weathertech products, two of which I think most HHR's really need.
Hope this helps.
I like to mildly accessorize all my cars. I'm not into serious customizing, but I am into mods which are good values and will improve the car's user-friendliness, its durability, performance and to a certain extent, it's appearance.
Several months after I purchased our HHR and turned it over to my Wife, the Fairest Sandra the Red, I acquired a few accessories from MacNeil Automotive Products. I'd put MacNeil's "Weathertech" products on some of the other cars we own and, based on my satisfaction with them, I put several on the HHR.
First, was a set of "LampGuards". These are tough, polyurethane headlamp protectors. Considering the cost of replacing the headlamp assemblies used on HHRs, Weathertech LampGuards make a lot of sense. In fact, not only do I have them on my HHR, but I put them on my Blazer ZR2 about 8 years ago and I put them on my 01 Camaro soon after I bought it. A LampGuard is a die-cut, peel-and-stick, 40-mil thick urethane overlay which you apply to the stock headlamp. They are semipermanent, meaning they can be removed with some difficulty, but they stick to the lamp very well. The key reason to use them is, because the soft urethane is a sort of like a "shock absorber", they significantly reduce the damage that plastic headlamps sustain as a result of small rocks, stones and gravel kicked up by other vehicles. In addtion, provided they are applied to a relatively new lamp assembly, they reduce the stock lamp's tendancy to turn frosty white or yellow, over time. LampGuards are easily applied by DIY's and take about 45 minutes to install. I wouldn't own a car with plastic headlamps that doesn't have LampGuards.
Second, I installed a full-set of Weathertech Side Window Deflectors. Again, my use of these was based on prior experience with them on my Blazer. Their are many aftermarket sources for door mounted wind deflectors, but I stick with Weathertech's products, in-spite of slightly higher cost, because 1) they're machined to size for an accurate fit, 2) they take minutes to install and 3) MacNeil usually offers two choices in tint level. I'll admit that adding these to my HHR didn't seem to make as great a reduction of wind "buffeting" when the windows are down as they did when I put them on the Blazer, but there was a difference and I attribute the lesser change to the fact that the HHR has diffrent aerodynamics and smaller window openings. I do like the distinctive appearance the Side Window Deflectors in the darker of the two tint choices gives our dark-blue HHR. It changes the look of the sides of the truck but in a modest way.
The last Weathertech accessory I've tried is perhaps the most useful to those driving the car and that's a set of FloorLiners. Again, my choice of these for the HHR was based on previous experience--a buddy of mine put them in his 2004 GMC Sierrra pickup. He drives 100s of miles a day between construction job-sites and the Floorliners have been amazingly durable in his "work-truck" duty cycle. I also have them in my Blazer and they work great, especially with I go off-road with it. In the HHR, the main attraction of FloorLiners is that, during the week, as the Fairest Sandra the Red uses the truck to comute to work and run errands, we can trap all the dirt and stuff that gets tracked into the truck in the Floorliners then remove them, dump all the dirt out then pop them back in. No vacuuming! Easy to clean...we like that. Also, if we want to take the truck to a show, we can remove the floorliners and replace the stock mats and have that like-new appearance. Yep...Floorliners...cool product!
So there you have it, three Weathertech products, two of which I think most HHR's really need.
Hope this helps.
06-24-2008, 01:55 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
Sillyme.
Sorry 'bout that.
I believe they have more than one web site but try
Try http://www.weathertech.com/
I've got some more reviews coming, too, about Green Filters and Denso spark plugs but I need to do a little more testing, first.
Last edited by Hib Halverson; 06-24-2008 at 01:56 PM. Reason: added content
06-24-2008, 08:45 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-02-2005
Location: VA
Posts: 1,245
OK, Hib.... Sorry, but the only times you post here is when you are hyping some particular product. And, it appears, that this is your "job" on the internet.
I call
C'mon, tell how much they are paying you to make these posts?
I call
C'mon, tell how much they are paying you to make these posts?
06-27-2008, 05:37 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
Billions and billions, "JoeR"!!
Ok. Seriously....in the last six months, I've posted four times, to different threads. Half of those posts mention a product by name. One of those posts, the one above, is a product review post.
By my math your statement above...
...seems to be inaccrate.
Do you care to comment upon that?
Ok. Seriously....in the last six months, I've posted four times, to different threads. Half of those posts mention a product by name. One of those posts, the one above, is a product review post.
By my math your statement above...
Sorry, but the only times you post here is when you are hyping some particular product.
Do you care to comment upon that?
Last edited by Hib Halverson; 06-27-2008 at 05:43 PM. Reason: added content
07-12-2008, 11:11 AM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
I think, earlier in this thread, I mentioned I was waiting for Flowmaster to release it's exhaust system for the HHR. I heard this week, that's happened.
Now...to order one and test it.
Now...to order one and test it.
07-12-2008, 02:58 PM
#9
Member
Join Date: 04-06-2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 58
Not Gonna Do It...
I really don't understand the the fascination with the window reflectors. I have yet to see a car that they look good on. Including the HHR. And the people who are REALLY into them, paint them to color match. Yuck!! If you like 'em, godspeed, bit you'll NEVER see 'em on MY HHR. Appearance mods should highlight and accentuate the appearance of an automobile, NOT take away from the factory lines of the vehicle. To me, it's really that simple. And don't even get me started about mudflaps...
goatcheez
goatcheez
07-12-2008, 07:02 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-18-2006
Location: Anaheim
Posts: 215
One thing I've noticed on the HHR much more than my magnum is that wind comes through the windows pretty strong, think it's the brick-shape. The deflectors do a nice job of giving you air without buffet. Just my 2 cents.