Inherited a 2008 HHR with 11k miles
Thread Starter
Joined: 04-14-2015
Posts: 6
From: SW Ohio
Inherited a 2008 HHR with 11k miles
My mom passed recently and I am paying my brother 1/2 of whatever her 2008 HHR LS is worth so I can take the car.
I bought it for her a few years back when my dad went downhill and she needed something reliable with a warranty and dealer maintenance since I was some distance away.
I really wish it was a 5 speed manual instead of an automatic but mom never learned to drive one and 75 years old wasn't the time to try.
I drove it a lot back and forth to doctor visits in Cincinnati and probably put 4,000 of the 11,000 miles on it. Otherwise, it just sat in the garage or somewhere on her retirement campus when she volunteered somewhere.
Nice little car, dark grey with a black interior, it's never given her any trouble. My wife has a 2014 Cruze with the 1,4 turbo and a 6 speed manual and we had a 2011 Malibu before the Cruze, the Malibu was a really good car.
I'm an admin on a VW web site and have 3 aircooled VW's (bus, bug, Vanagon) and an early Dodge Cummins truck I tinker on so hopefully the HHR doesn't need much attention for a while.
I did find some Eibach springs to take away some of the serious wheel gap and corner roll on the car with the stock suspension. Has anyone else installed those?
Thanks
Joe
I bought it for her a few years back when my dad went downhill and she needed something reliable with a warranty and dealer maintenance since I was some distance away.
I really wish it was a 5 speed manual instead of an automatic but mom never learned to drive one and 75 years old wasn't the time to try.
I drove it a lot back and forth to doctor visits in Cincinnati and probably put 4,000 of the 11,000 miles on it. Otherwise, it just sat in the garage or somewhere on her retirement campus when she volunteered somewhere.
Nice little car, dark grey with a black interior, it's never given her any trouble. My wife has a 2014 Cruze with the 1,4 turbo and a 6 speed manual and we had a 2011 Malibu before the Cruze, the Malibu was a really good car.
I'm an admin on a VW web site and have 3 aircooled VW's (bus, bug, Vanagon) and an early Dodge Cummins truck I tinker on so hopefully the HHR doesn't need much attention for a while.
I did find some Eibach springs to take away some of the serious wheel gap and corner roll on the car with the stock suspension. Has anyone else installed those?
Thanks
Joe
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 39,900
From: Welland,Ont Canada
Sorry to hear of your Mothers passing.
I've not installed that brand on my HHR but have on my 03 Sunfire GT, nice ride but lacking some roll control so I installed a rear sway bar!
Now on my 07 HHR LS I gave a set of Canuck Motorsports coils and a Turbo Tech Racing rear sway bar, I installed Energy Suspension sway bar bushings on the front sway bar and it rides very nice and has for the last 4 1/2 years. I also went with KYB struts and shocks.
I've not installed that brand on my HHR but have on my 03 Sunfire GT, nice ride but lacking some roll control so I installed a rear sway bar!
Now on my 07 HHR LS I gave a set of Canuck Motorsports coils and a Turbo Tech Racing rear sway bar, I installed Energy Suspension sway bar bushings on the front sway bar and it rides very nice and has for the last 4 1/2 years. I also went with KYB struts and shocks.
Platinum Member
Joined: 12-06-2009
Posts: 11,718
From: Alabama
Sorry for your loss.
One thing you should check is that all the recall work has been done. If you are unsure, check in with your local GM dealer and have him check the info database on your car.
Adding a rear sway bar is 1 of the best mods for helping with that body roll.
HHR's don't have a rear bar from the factory.
One thing you should check is that all the recall work has been done. If you are unsure, check in with your local GM dealer and have him check the info database on your car.
Adding a rear sway bar is 1 of the best mods for helping with that body roll.
HHR's don't have a rear bar from the factory.
Sorry for your loss...
Thread Starter
Joined: 04-14-2015
Posts: 6
From: SW Ohio
Thanks for the replies. Mom had cancer and we held it off for 7 years but it finally got her. Hospice made her passing a good experience.
I have been being sure the recalls are done, the only one open I know of is the potential power steering loss. I had asked the dealer how they expected an 82 year old woman to cope with sudden powering loss and never got the answer. Now I don't need it.
Considering the rest of the suspension has 11k miles on it, i was thinking on just swapping springs and letting the rest go for the time being. It's a 2.2 automatic so I didn't think there was too much aggressive driving in it's future but there is a lot of good information in here for making it a better daily.
Thanks again!
I have been being sure the recalls are done, the only one open I know of is the potential power steering loss. I had asked the dealer how they expected an 82 year old woman to cope with sudden powering loss and never got the answer. Now I don't need it.
Considering the rest of the suspension has 11k miles on it, i was thinking on just swapping springs and letting the rest go for the time being. It's a 2.2 automatic so I didn't think there was too much aggressive driving in it's future but there is a lot of good information in here for making it a better daily.
Thanks again!
