hi all
everyone who looks at our car, comments on the line acroos the hood. there is a clear plastic film pasted on the front of the hood. i believe its some kind of stone guard. is this a factory option or aftermarket?

 

Aftermarket

 

sometimes called a "clear bra." May have been an option from certain dealers, but as HillsdaleHHR said, it is certainly an aftermarket piece.

And be glad you have it. Looking at the state of my front bumper, grille and the part of the hood right above the grill, I'm pretty sad I don't have one.

 

Yep, I would advise anyone to get the hood done if you dont want to touch up 30-40 stone chips every season. The rear fender flares are also a trouble spot.

 

Here is the low down.

There are full kits for hood and bumper and then there are kits just for the hood. I have the one just for the hood.

http://www.huskyliners.com/Husky%20S...?ct=29&d=6&dt=

It is aftermarket and not really hard to put on a hood. The bumper would take a lot more work.

Anyone who considers one they need to do it before you have much damage or repair the damage you have. Any ding or chip not flush will show as a clear looking bubble.

I am glad to have this. I also covered the head lights with the protection covers. It will save you from a lot of headlight damage. Two years in I have not had any issues with the plastic over heating with the stock bulbs.

Just remember do not put this on a stone chipped or poorly repaired paint as you will hate how it looks. Fix the paint and then cover it.

 

yeh it would nice if the rear flare were done. i noticed that spot catching slush so stones and debris will also target that area.

 

The o8 and later HHRs have stone guards and no pads there. You can buy them from the dealer.

 

Mud flaps help protect that rear fender flare, if you don't have running boards. My 07 has some pretty heavy plastic protectors on the rear fender flares. Did they do away with that in later years?

 

The early years had a very thick, body color molded overlay, later they went with a clear heavy duty "tape" type of overlay. Not sure when the transition was. The models that came with running boards didn't get these parts so it's LS and some 1LT that got these.

 

Guess the body color molded overlay went away in 08, according to one comment on this thread. Since mine is a very basic HHR, there is no running board, but I did add mud flaps, which do help. That clear bra, is great, have it on the front of our motor home, which really saves it. Have thought of puting it on the HHR, but haven't, its not inexpensive, and the line from where it is to where it isn't is visible, which I'm not sure I want on the HHR. I run a hood bra on it, but that does leave a lot of it exposed. I have a cover for the entire front end to the top of the windshield, when its towed behind the motor home.