Conax

Hi fellas! I just joined the forum the other day because I am going to buy a 2009 LS and wanted to get some info about the cars before plunking down the dough. The HHR seems to be just what I need. I'd love to have one of the panels, but there are only two within hundreds of miles for sale and they want a fair premium for them.

I found a clean (as a pin, like a brand new car) dark gray one. After hours of staring at high res pics I realized it had taken a hit on the bumper and left rear fender panel.
The plastic is creased and lost some paint, but the fender is crunched in just above it a fair amount. The shiny paint and a bright day put so many highlights in the photos it was easy to miss it altogether.

It's not junked out looking, but you can definitely notice it. The seller mentioned in passing that he was going to see what he could do about it before I came to check and test drive the car.

Lucky or skillful, I never have dents on my cars. Sure there's rust and dirt, but I don't run into things. BTW, one of the big draws to the HHR is the fact that so many owners keep them looking good, some garaged all the time..

I'll probably buy it anyway. It has 67000 miles, the world's most pristine paint, not a speck of rust on the bottom door edges or anywhere, all buffed out and shiny.
Then there's that damage.. :/

The guy wants 4400 for it, it's the auto/2.2L standard base model.

Would you guys tolerate a dinged bumper or go for an older, higher milage, possibly rusting car instead? I saw an '07 Orange Barrel LT with the 2.4 for less. It has the beginnings of rust areas where the running board would meet the lower rockerpanel in the rear, both sides. 90,000 miles.I can see the paint is rough, there's rust under there. He's asking 3800.

Which one would a wise HHR'er take?
Thanks in advance for your help and time!

conax

Oldblue

No rust a little dent , maybe a paintless dent repair guy can pop it out for you!
Welcome to the site, it's already drawn you to now assimilate and be one with yourHHR Panel!

Conax

Yes, this is a great forum and all HHR people should keep current with all the good info here!
Now I didn't go for the two panels, the one I'm getting is a plain vanilla, only dark gray. I'm not the most logical writer at forming paragraphs and that is where the confusion lies.
So the dent is less evil than the potential rusting... I agree with that. That rust beginning on the paint may have already eaten up the underside which I can't see from the pics. But the rusty one does have the bigger engine, so I'm a little wobbly, thus the need for input.

SuKi

Go for the 2.2 if it fits your needs. A little dent may be a slight eye sore, but after a few months a couple hundred to fix it wouldn't be the end of the world, and cheaper than a complete body overhaul. And it may be a negotiating point in the price. I find the 2.2 has all the power I need for what my needs are right now. A daily driver that fits everywhere but still has plenty of room for luggage and dogs. I also occasionally pull a small trailer and boat. I will be looking for an SS in a few years when I'm back in the states, but that will not be my daily.

Oldblue

I've got the 2.2, no major problems, good gas mileage.

Conax

Hi Suki, thanks for the response! I'm pretty sure the 2.2 is strong enough for me since I won't be hauling heavy stuff, people or trailers.
The seller is an HHR fixer/seller and mentioned the dent today. He might get it down where you hardly notice it. The bumper has a small scrape and gouge, though, so it's probably permanent. One concern I have is that the dent has caused a line to spread, where two pieces of sheet metal meet, so there's what looks like a small hole there now. Water could get in so that will need some sort of band-aid.
I'm 95% for the dented car rather than the rusted one. I do like that flashy orange color, but it's pretty garish for a guy that keeps a low profile in general.

Conax

I also like the 2.2 for its commonality. It should be easier in the future to get parts for the most common one. And 30 mpg is pretty phenomenal for a car that can haul stuff. It has to be tuned to perfection to get that far.

SuKi

In NC and FL across flat land, I consistently got above 30 mpg with factory tune. Here in Guam, with every drive over at least one mountain, I get around 27 to 28 consistently.

Conax

I had a short stopover in Guam once. It was many years ago but they had a periphery road that ran just in from the shore clear around the island. I wonder how many laps you could make on a full tank?

SuKi

Hmm, I would say a bit more than two. But hitting traffic in Tamuning, Tumon, and Dededo is pretty off-putting. And getting stuck behind someone doing 25 around the south side is not very fun either, the views are way better though.