new 'used hhr" owner - trips, pics and more
11-10-2016, 04:29 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 11-10-2016
Location: wash st
Posts: 34
new 'used hhr" owner - trips, pics and more
Hello one and all. First off I'm a semi retired semi homeless guy who has a few spare dollars to run my HHR these last years of my life. I've been unemployed now so long ive long given up. that plus im turning 61 years old soon doesn't help either in the ole job hunt.
I do get a small inheritance check once a year and this year i bought a nice lo mile 06 hhr. used of course. It had 72K miles and after a rocky start it now runs like a champ after i got the nasty reduced power fault fixed. (the fault was the trans wire that runs up to the throttle body that had rubbed raw and shorted out creating a low voltage condition and thus the fault, once i fixed that, its ran perfectly. knock on wood.
Iv'e been out on 2 vacations this year and racked up over 85/9000 miles in 5 weeks. I gotten as low as 29 and as high as 36mpg with it so far. It was a one older couple owner car and in super great shape. I gave it a once over with inexpensive Amazon parts. Changed tires and oils and away i go!
funny thing i noticed, my best mpg (36.3) was after I put in super prem gas on a lark, since it was so cheap, in texas on my first trip. My worst mpg was using Arco unleaded but even that was still 32 mpg. the 29 low happened in the rockies so that was not a surprise to me. It is NOT a rocketship going up hill grades, patience is a virtue. Unless you want to blow head gaskets.
second trip was to vegas and I actually got popped for speeding (85) once which is funny as inormally dwadle along at 65 or 70. It was indian reservation and I got off with just paying a bond and no ticket or ins or lic reporting. mmm
I want to lower it next spring but not to crazy. I'd like to see 1.5/2 in the front and 3" in the back. Any suggestions?
pics included below. maybe??
I do get a small inheritance check once a year and this year i bought a nice lo mile 06 hhr. used of course. It had 72K miles and after a rocky start it now runs like a champ after i got the nasty reduced power fault fixed. (the fault was the trans wire that runs up to the throttle body that had rubbed raw and shorted out creating a low voltage condition and thus the fault, once i fixed that, its ran perfectly. knock on wood.
Iv'e been out on 2 vacations this year and racked up over 85/9000 miles in 5 weeks. I gotten as low as 29 and as high as 36mpg with it so far. It was a one older couple owner car and in super great shape. I gave it a once over with inexpensive Amazon parts. Changed tires and oils and away i go!
funny thing i noticed, my best mpg (36.3) was after I put in super prem gas on a lark, since it was so cheap, in texas on my first trip. My worst mpg was using Arco unleaded but even that was still 32 mpg. the 29 low happened in the rockies so that was not a surprise to me. It is NOT a rocketship going up hill grades, patience is a virtue. Unless you want to blow head gaskets.
second trip was to vegas and I actually got popped for speeding (85) once which is funny as inormally dwadle along at 65 or 70. It was indian reservation and I got off with just paying a bond and no ticket or ins or lic reporting. mmm
I want to lower it next spring but not to crazy. I'd like to see 1.5/2 in the front and 3" in the back. Any suggestions?
pics included below. maybe??
Last edited by Randypella; 11-10-2016 at 04:41 PM. Reason: spelling
11-10-2016, 05:53 PM
#3
Administrator
Join Date: 10-13-2011
Location: Welland,Ont Canada
Posts: 36,454
Neat ride, welcome to the site, as for the lowering , Canuck Motorsports is the kit I went with, four to five years ago and over 100,000 miles and the ride is still smooth and firm! I'd also suggest a Turbo Tech Racing rear sway bar to settle the rear end , it works wonders in winding roads and a stiff cross wind!
aboard Randy!
11-11-2016, 10:51 AM
#8
Deceased
Join Date: 06-30-2010
Location: Kannapolis NC
Posts: 25,739
You know, the more I look at the wheelcovers, the better I like them.
The standard LS wheelcovers have always had a very high "Dorky" number with me, 0 being Cool, 10 being Dorky...stock LS wheelcovers score a Dorky+ rating of 12.
Pic #6 in the first post tickled my wife, "someone else who parks in Outer Lower Siberia, you men are all alike", my reply was "Door Dings, that's why we park 50 miles from the store".
The standard LS wheelcovers have always had a very high "Dorky" number with me, 0 being Cool, 10 being Dorky...stock LS wheelcovers score a Dorky+ rating of 12.
Pic #6 in the first post tickled my wife, "someone else who parks in Outer Lower Siberia, you men are all alike", my reply was "Door Dings, that's why we park 50 miles from the store".
11-11-2016, 11:29 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-16-2013
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 1,408
Mine does the same thing when I park "too far away from the store." Now if she ever says something I avert her attention to Gregg's poor rear right door where he receive two phantom dents from a parking lot about 2 years ago 
11-11-2016, 01:42 PM
#10
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 11-10-2016
Location: wash st
Posts: 34
thanks for noticing my post.
yes i park, strategically. the HHR has big barn door slab sides and a door ding would stand out like crazy. It currently has 1 very light one and i try to keep it that way.
As far as wheel covers, those aren't stockers, those came from a O Riellys store and cost a whopping 39.99. Remember im unemployed and semi homeless so I take deals where i can find them. One of these were cracked a bit in the box new on a lip, normally they are 49.99.
I'm currently searching for a Mini teardrop camper and I'll totally transition to living on the road 24/7 and maybe travel to Alaska or maybe Maine directions next summer as these are the only states i've not been to in my lifetime. I've seen the all the rest.
I used to have a 24foot class C motorhome but I had to move 2400 miles away from it and couldnt get it to my current stomping grounds. It sat back there for a few good years and I guess someone took it or crushed it last year. Either way its gone and a lot of my stuff is gone now forever too. To bad cause i had about 1100 bucks of "goods" in it yet. But im not upset. I find that the less I own the easier it is to live.
I do miss having a garage though. I have friends who let me use their shops to fix or just piddle with the HHR if I feel like it. But mostly I just plan my next line of survival trips. You would be amazed at how many places and states (at least for now) have decent enough free facilities to actually get by. Its not a life for everyone but being nearly to retirement and with my inheritence checks, I'm doing ok.
The HHR has been a really good vehicle for me and Ive owned dozens and dozens of cars in my life, from Porches to caddies, mustangs to camaros. The HHR for me is a really friendly user vehicle.
HHR pros- dirt cheap repair parts. omg. some stuff is a fraction of what my old Carrera parts cost.
HHR pros- Good gas mileage and easy to drive. Carries a lot of stuff. Isnt a cop getter
HHR cons- not a rocketship, but slow down and enjoy life. I stopped so many times on my last trip to texas and Chicago that I never did before in life. Going slow if I saw something of interest i'd just stop and go visit. I saw so many neat stuff the most of us just whizzed past all these years. Its fun. I bet I can tell you where every old 60 chevy malibu or old mustang pinto or station wagons or even old apache trucks are now.
example theres a primo 61 chevy impala setting behind a barn just west of Cody wyoming. Theres various cabovers and more all store in my memory map bank. The whiskey flats ammo depot area has hundreds of 60/70s dodge power wagon trucks. Just sitting out in the middle of no where.
so yeah I love my HHR
Arizona keeps coming up but IDK. a lot depends on politics right now.
yes i park, strategically. the HHR has big barn door slab sides and a door ding would stand out like crazy. It currently has 1 very light one and i try to keep it that way.
As far as wheel covers, those aren't stockers, those came from a O Riellys store and cost a whopping 39.99. Remember im unemployed and semi homeless so I take deals where i can find them. One of these were cracked a bit in the box new on a lip, normally they are 49.99.
I'm currently searching for a Mini teardrop camper and I'll totally transition to living on the road 24/7 and maybe travel to Alaska or maybe Maine directions next summer as these are the only states i've not been to in my lifetime. I've seen the all the rest.
I used to have a 24foot class C motorhome but I had to move 2400 miles away from it and couldnt get it to my current stomping grounds. It sat back there for a few good years and I guess someone took it or crushed it last year. Either way its gone and a lot of my stuff is gone now forever too. To bad cause i had about 1100 bucks of "goods" in it yet. But im not upset. I find that the less I own the easier it is to live.
I do miss having a garage though. I have friends who let me use their shops to fix or just piddle with the HHR if I feel like it. But mostly I just plan my next line of survival trips. You would be amazed at how many places and states (at least for now) have decent enough free facilities to actually get by. Its not a life for everyone but being nearly to retirement and with my inheritence checks, I'm doing ok.
The HHR has been a really good vehicle for me and Ive owned dozens and dozens of cars in my life, from Porches to caddies, mustangs to camaros. The HHR for me is a really friendly user vehicle.
HHR pros- dirt cheap repair parts. omg. some stuff is a fraction of what my old Carrera parts cost.
HHR pros- Good gas mileage and easy to drive. Carries a lot of stuff. Isnt a cop getter
HHR cons- not a rocketship, but slow down and enjoy life. I stopped so many times on my last trip to texas and Chicago that I never did before in life. Going slow if I saw something of interest i'd just stop and go visit. I saw so many neat stuff the most of us just whizzed past all these years. Its fun. I bet I can tell you where every old 60 chevy malibu or old mustang pinto or station wagons or even old apache trucks are now.
example theres a primo 61 chevy impala setting behind a barn just west of Cody wyoming. Theres various cabovers and more all store in my memory map bank. The whiskey flats ammo depot area has hundreds of 60/70s dodge power wagon trucks. Just sitting out in the middle of no where.
so yeah I love my HHR
Arizona keeps coming up but IDK. a lot depends on politics right now.