I have now seen 3 2010 HHR LT1's with the chrome package. One had painted hubcaps over 5 spoke steel wheels. One had shiny chrome hubcabs over 5 spoke steel wheels. One had chrome plated aluminum wheels. The price for the package varied from about 400 to close to 1000. I didn't think to write down the order codes. The Chevy site only shows one chrome package. How do I know what wheels I will get. My dealer doesn't.

 

When I was buying my '07 2LT I went to the GM site and there was a "build it", where you can select any package, trim, etc. I would assume it is still there and should get very specific. By the way, be very careful when reading about the wheels. Most of us thought our smoked chrome wheels were just that. Turns out they were smoked-chromed plastic. Extremely disappointed in that and will never understand how guys with LT1s end up with true aluminum or chromed wheels while we paid the big bucks for a "package" of plastic.

 

In the past, the LT1 came with silverstone painted wheels (my choice anyway) in 2006. The base "chrome" package is door handles, side mirror covers, rear deck chrome handle, chrome grill and chrome roof rack if added as an option. I almost believe that they added chrome wheels as the price was to $950 for the package, the last time I did the build on chevy.com. Most of the chrome package is plastic and not worth $950 IMHO. But with chrome wheels that would boost the price.

I suspect the dealers may shuffle wheels on their lot cars.

 

thats because we are just better than you........... Just Kidding!

I just got lucky bought my '06 used and it already had the polished rims on it. I later added the dealer optional chrome rims because I found them cheap on Ebay.

As for the Smoked wheels I read somewhere in the site that the first ones were actually aluminum wheels and peeled/discolored so bad that Chevy switched to the plastic covers....

 

http://www.wheelsandcaps.com/Chrome_Clad_Wheels.html

The "plastic" wheels y'all are referring to are actually called "chrome clad wheels". It isn't done to be cheap, it is done to be more durable in a high gloss finish. Apparently the black chrome ones just didn't hold up, but I haven't heard anyone complain about the plain chrome ones. I have a set of chrome clads on my '09 2LT. The wheel is actually alloy, with a chromed plastic piece bonded on. It certainly wouldn't be cheaper to make an alloy wheel plus the chrome part, so they must have had a durability desire when they did this. Mine look just fine, and I doubt anyone but those on the board know they are anything but chromed alloy. I may replace mine with Mooneyes' SpeedMaster kidney bean wheels, but only for a different look, not because my factory wheels are less quality. Please check the above link.......

God Bless, Marc

 

Oh yes, and one can be doggone sure that the wheel weights will be on the inside of the HHR chrome clad wheels, as there is no lips on the outside.

God Bless, Marc

 

If you go to "build your own" at the Chevy site, it indicates the chrome package (when added to an LT1) will include chrome plated aluminum wheels and costs just under $1000. However, I had my dealer configure the car I wanted with chrome package and it printed out item B57 (from memory, might be wrong number) which included shiny chrome plated plastic wheel covers over the 5 spoke steel wheels. The price was $475 for the whole package. He surmised that the website is old information and Chevy was using up old parts on the first cars. Anyway, what I really want is the chrome package with the STANDARD grey/silver hubcaps as supplied on an LT1 without the chrome package. I assume I could just buy them from the parts department and then sell the shiny chrome ones on ebay as genuine, brand new GM parts for maybe half what the parts dept charged me for the non chrome ones--which would be $250(!). That seems kind of huge for 4 plastic hubcaps.

 

Well,
Ignoring the rims and grille and mirror caps and door handles, what else is chrome about the chrome package?

Thanks,

Seth

 

In 06, the 1LT had machined finish wheels. I think the late 07 started the painted ones. The only 06 model that had other 16's alloys was the SE model, and it's had chrome wheels.

 

Rear beauty bar and side rail end caps (if so equipped).