Hey what's up guys, I think it's time for me to get a new car, a different type of performance car I guess. I love everything the HHR SS is, the idea is so perfect. It's so different and not quite as childish looking as a Cobalt SS but still has the same FE5 suspension which is awesome. I've got a good car right now, a Comp-G, it's a good handling car, especially with some thick summer tires, lots of power (modded GenV m90), excellent reliability... but I'm sure a stock SS with half decent tires could run laps around my car. Problem with the HHR is most (all) of the SS for sale right now in the area are 4 speeds... how far can the auto be pushed? When is the auto maxed out and how much money do I have to pour into the car to get around say 300-325 whp (should be good for mid-high 12s in the car right?)... I assume suspension is fine for the road course and some good tires and I'm good to go. Other than that, how's the overall reliability of this car (I've owned an LT1 and now an L32, both pretty up there reliability wise)... how far can the 4-speed be pushed without it falling apart on me? How much money to get it into the mid 12s (or 300ish whp whatever comes first) and what's a fair price for one (most I've seen around $10k+)? I'd like to make the change in about 6-8 months or so... something nice for the summer.

 

Lots of SS's out there, a couple of 5 speed panels on this site check out our classified section
As for how much, that depends on you and your wrenching skills, stick with a few intake mods and a good tune should get you the horse power you want.

 

How's the reliability? I'm used to pretty much GM's 2 most reliable motors (oh i wish i had an ls1). I'm a newbie, a freshman in acollege w/ almost no past mechinacal knowledgw, I've had aaaqamy l32 for about 2 yrs now and it hadn't let me down yet. This just intake and tune and get a lot of power is a new concept to me. On my comp G i needed headers, cam, open cone, smaller pulley and a cam and a full suspension to get to mid 13s... if i get an auto, and say shop does all the work how much for 300ish? like $2k to get the job done? can 4 speed handle 300 whp safely?

 

Welcome to the site.

My 2010 SS has been trouble free for 44k miles.

 

Thank you and please educate me on these cars, motors and the 2 different trannies, chances are if I get an HHR it'll probably be a 4 speed, like I previously asked, how much can they hold (power wise?), obviously their reliability, and of course how easy is it to pull power out of these things? Again, goal is around 300-350 at the wheels, mid-midhigh 12s on the quarter, track well I've already read up on that, I should be able to just throw on any old sporty summer tires (I'm thinking Michelin PSS for summer, 245s on stock wheels if at all possible?) with a OTTP rear sway bar and be good to go corner-ability wise. Right now in the are I'm looking at these cars from around $10-12k for most of them, around 40-60k on the odo since their relatively new cars, but since I'm eventually gonna spend more than I anticipated, reliability is a big factor you know.

 

I have a 5 speed, so I can't really comment on the automatics reliability.
Now, from what I've read on this site and others, it seems that the automatic is good up to around the 375 hp range or so.

As far as running in the 12's with 300-350 hp. Probably not gonna happen at 300. Maybe so at 350 with the correct tires and some engine mount mods.

To pull power from the SS's engine. 1st would be to ditch the factory tune. Since the automatic is "detuned" is the lower gear, go with an aftermarket tune to wake it up. Trifecta or HPtuners are the 2 mentioned here the most.
An E47 tune has been discussed here as being the one for getting the best power from a stock LNF setup. 2005HHRauto is the member here who knows all about this tune.

Do some searching and reading here. We've covered just about every subject here on the SS. There are tons of archived articles you can read and learn from.

 

Sounds interesting, 375 is a bit over the top, 350 is about enough (what is that about 400 at the crank?). A little different for me since on the wbody cars you'd need around 270 to hit really really low 13s or really really high 12s. Doesn't matter, the HHR looks exciting and is it just the tune that gets all this power?

 

350hp @ the crank here.
But it's that 'over-boosting', 450'lb of beautiful sweet Ethanol provided torque, that gets me 12.3s all day at the track...

The following is Copy/paste, info, from another thread:

For long 4t45e longevity:
1. Reduce shift time in half , via HPTuner.
2. Increase the torque reduction in 1st gear, 0-3,500rpm
3. Use 100% synthetic fluid , & change it, every 2 years.
4. NO super sticky street tires, as you don't want to 'dead-hook', on the street.
5. Experience ?? I just turned 62 , so I kind of know, how to drive wisely, & not beat up, the equipment ??

And really, our little buggy, is so easy to mod:
1. Just a 'tune', any 'tune' , will wake it up, & make it a true muscle-car, & oh so fun to drive...
2. 'Tunes' can be mild-to-well thought out, our buggy is so easy to 'tune', really no wild 'tunes' needed, as a wild 'tune',
is really a bad 'tune', a 'tune' that isn't well-thought-out.
3. A simple, well thought out, gasoline 'tune', WILL be so streetable, & also be, a mid 13 second beast, at the track.
4. An Ethanol 'tune', + some really simple mods, WILL still be 100% streetable, = run 12s, at the track.


These simple mods = 12s , at the track.
1. E47 Ethanol 'tune'.
2. K&N air intake system.
3. Coring the 2nd cat.
4. TTech engine mount.
5. Slicks, or really good drag radials.
That's it, it really is that easy...
A 'tune' , 2 aftermarket parts, modding the 2nd cat, & good tires.

For me to go 12.3s , I had to add a 3" cat-back, + light-weight rotors, & wheels/tires, saving 100 pounds, BUT sill, 100% streetable.
It is still 100% streetable, gets 30mpg on highway trips, if I'm really trying, LOL , & I drive it year round, in Pittsburgh winters too…
I just reprogram to trans, for 2nd gear starts, using the "I", shifting position, in the winter, for reduced torque, when starting out on ice, or heavy snow... LOL

FUN FACTS
Run E20 , if you have Ethanol in your area.
5/1 ratio = 5 parts E10 91/93 gasoline , + 1 part E85 = E20.
Your engine will love it, run better, last longer, more power, try it, NO tuning needed, ...
If you 'core' the 2nd cat, NO tuning is needed.
If you add the K&N air intake system to your buggy, NO tuning is needed, & this system, will cause your stock 'tune', to be better...
If you add the K&N intake system, 'core' the 2nd cat, + run E20 , NO tuning needed still, & your buggy will run so sweet...

My Buggy is 100% stock, expect for the following mods:
1. E47 'tune'
2. K&N air intake system.
3. TTech engine mount.
4. 'Coring' , of the 2nd cat.
5. 3" cat-back exhaust, ( needed to go 12.3s , instead of 12.4s), LOL. A cat-back, is really not worth doing...
6. Lightweight rotors/wheels/tires, & 4 lug wheel bearing hubs, for my 4 bolt Enkei 9.5lb wheels. Rotors are now, stock cheap 1996 Honda Accord, on the front, & cheap Honda Civic STI, on the back. Saved 100 pounds doing this, feels great on the street, & knocked one tenth, off of my 1/4 mile times.
Definitely NOT worth it, & I would never do this again. I really expected more than a tenth, at the track, doing this...
So, if I had too do it again, I would skip steps 5 & 6 , & be happy running 12.5s at the track, instead of 12.3s.

 

Thanks for your input. I'd prefer the HHR over the boy-racer looks of a Turbo Cobalt and well even though a blower Cobalt is cheap it'd really not be that much of a difference from my L32 in any way, probably has a worse ride quality, not all that much power increase, and overall grip is probably higher in my wbody (compared to stock sc). The HHR is just so lowkey, I feel like it's got the strong powerplant with an awesome suspension, relatively light and overall it's a better choice than the other cars I'm looking at. As far as full on E85 goes, how is a well tuned E85 on cold winter days (can get down to -10* F out here)