Ok....

The HHR's grill, rear beauty bar and the roof rail "end caps" are all chromed ABS.

I need to know the type of material of the rails themselves (I do know they are magnetic). Are they cheap stainless steel or chromed steel or ????

Also, for those who removed the "shiney chrome" mirror caps...are they ABS also, or ??

Lastly, the type of material of the door knobs???

I'm getting ready for the Special 2006 Really Limited Edition !!

Thanks for any help.

 

Yep.. ABS as guessed.

 

I think you and I have the same plans Snoopy.

 

I would think all of it is ABS excpet the roof rails. I would imagine those are stainless. I figured aluminum until you said it was magnetic.

 

Not all stainless is magnetic, for example 300 series in non-magnetic. I would assume they are some form of steel but not necessarily stainless.

 

I would hope they would not use a non stainless steel on the roof rails. To me that is just asking for issues down the road.

If so, makes me real glad I did not get them.

 

Why? That's why there is plating. It's not just to color metal.

 

Chrome plated steel will rust. And rust bad. Plus having the mounting bolts, and how ever your cross bars mounted, will scuff, or worse, chip the chrome and will rust faster.

Just like the old style chrome wheels. Even grampa style bed rails for trucks are stainless because of that fact. Non stainless on a vehicle will rust.

 

Here's a perfect example of what happens to chrome plated steel. Paid $50 for this tip and this is what it looked like after about 500 miles.

 

That is not normal rust damage on chrome plated steel Deb. Only the exterior of your tip was chrome plated. They left the inside non-plated seeing as how it is just going to get coated in carbon and turn black from your exhaust fumes anyways. Chrome plated steel ends up getting little chips and pits in it but the extent of the rust on chrome plated steel will never be that bad. I have a 30 something year old set of Cragar SS rims for my 34 year old Malibu so believe me I know the effects of time and rust on chrome plated steel. It chips and pits then rust takes effect in the pits which can lead to the plating pealing. I'll take pics when I get home if you want to see what it really looks like.