This is the way the HHR's should have come from the factory...

Your lucky you don't have Eve helping you with this project...she'd talk you into using a Big Block..!!

 

I picked up some Corvette C5 front calipers and a pair of 13" Corvette C4 rotors. I was concerned that they would not clear my Moon wheels but they do. Yea! These are going to be about the absolute max amount of brakes that will go in a 17" wheel. They are pretty sweet dual piston calipers. I don't know if this setup would fit the stock HHR 17" wheels or not. Once I have it finished I'll try a stock set of wheels to see if they fit.

Anyway, I'll have to fabricate some brackets to mount them and re drill the rotors to 110mm x 5 but I'm optimistic. If the brackets aren't too difficult, I may make some extras if any other members want to try them. I'm thinking that will be better and certainly cheaper than Brembos and it would be nice to stay with a GM performance part. I'll post photos of the adaptation of these to the HHR

Here is the rotor and caliper. The rotor is 13" diameter.

As you can see, a 13" rotor is just about wall to wall inside a 17" wheel.

 

Nice set up!

 

I spent the last 2 days building a fixture and working on the Corvette front brake adaptation to the HHR. I made the prototype bracket out of 1/4" steel but the actual brackets will be 3/8". Next week I'll take the bracket to work and scan it so I can post the specs on this forum just incase any fools out there want to do this to their car.

Here is the initial layout for drilling the rotors to the HHR 110 mm bolt pattern.

Here are the C5 Corvette calipers on the Corvette C4 rotors

Here is the back side showing the bracket.

You should recognize this as the trusty HHR spindle.

 

Very nice work !!

 

Neat as a pin !

 

I just found out today from Vintage Air that my perfect air conditioning compressor won't work with the Vintage Air evaporator I bought. It seems that Ls compressors are a computer controlled / variable speed unit that is not compatible with the Vintage Air. Rats ! So it's a special new compressor and bracket for me......

 

dang that hurts, but we know you're up to the challenge

 

Which ECM/computer are you using? Are you 24x or 58x on the crank? I'm using a 2002 F-Body computer in my 94 Impala SS with highly modified LT1 that has had the 24X conversion done to it and the control of the air conditioning compressor is an on off signal only. Rather than changing the compressor it might be easier for you if you look at a different ECM.

 

Thanks for the idea, however I think in my case it will be simpler just changing the compressor. I'm trying to keep the merging of the two systems easy as possible while still keeping all the stuff it will already do such as trans shift points, Radiator fans on/off, Throttle position sensor, MAP, on and on...... I'm sure changing the ECM would work for the A/C compressor but it's just so damn complicated now that I cringe thinking of more possible problems.

How about a pic of that LT1/94 Impala ?