I have a 2009 HHR SS panel that I bought new. 1 of 216 built. 1 of 9 in Aqua Blue Mettalic . Now has 135 thousand miles . My cruisein & car show machine. Love mine. Alot of spectators never heard of these cars of course GM didn't advertise these let alone never seen a panel SS! Still have the original window sticker when I went to pick it up.
That's a special car you have!! They launched in the depths of the recession... so no wonder they failed. And consumers buy on looks... HHR was funky. But I like it. Especially the blend of performance and functionality. Thanks for sharing your story!
I had a 2007 base HHR, 2.2 L w/ 5-speed stick. I really liked it. And even thought the sticks are SO hard to find on these cars, I also feel it's the the way to get it. With any or these smaller cars with 4-bangers, it seems to me that automatics are more expensive and can be more problematic in the long term as well as usually not being as fuel efficient. I sold it because I ended up with a surplus of 4door vehicles. But I took my time and enjoyed it for over 6 months before selling it. Another thing I like about at is that it's powerful enough to where you can drive it in states with higher elevation and 80 mph speed limits and you can set the cruise at 80 and it'll handle that speed all day without the engine having to work really hard and have the rear seats down and mass luggage taking up all the room there is. Perhaps if I lost all my vehicles in a natural disaster and needed to get a car again just to have one, the HHR is at the top of the list.
Totally agree with your review. Found one almost accidentally and the SS version really sold me. Mine is a 2009 manual with the performance package. Has pretty low miles - around 60,000. Great combination of power and utility, plus it is pretty unique. I’ve have several cars, but this one is turning out to be a favorite.
Thanks for sharing! It's hard not to love everything this car is... at least if you can enjoy the styling. Really cool combination of utility, practicality, economy and fun.
Your video made me love mine 09 LS even more. It's really a utilitarian vehicle and even at 155hp it's still an enjoyable car. Make sure you look at the fuel line that run thru an insulation next to muffler. Very common for it to leak due to trapped moisture and road salt. Mine at 140kmi is leaking now I'm waiting for parts, nickel copper and brass fitting.
That's awesome! Thankfully, this car has never seen snow or salt. It has had a rather nice life and lives in the garage. Enjoy your HHR. Thanks for sharing! :)
@@TruckCamper dang ; aint that the truth. So easy in and out ; great seating position;zips down the road and through traffic. Great handling . So versatile. It’s hard not to like it . 👍👌
Love it. Had 2 non SS,had my 2007 ls 5 speed since new. Will have one someday for street fun. My 07 ls is my desert buggy. Does great off road in the AZ deserts.
@@TruckCamper Yes,ive driven a few. They are alot if fun. I just never had the coin to buy one outright. I'm on disability so i just keep rebuilding this one for now as I can. And it works well for what I do with it. Can't find another car this simple,with this much room still this great mpgs and easy to fix and modify. Reliable,even when beat on. Just change the fluids and maintenance and great. Mine has been over 3/4 of the USA Almost 14 years of abuse and faithful service.
Interested in one of these.... there is a automatic one up for sale in my area. I like the space, power, and actually the design isn't bad at all its unique plus it would look good next to my Cobalt SS Turbocharged.
Get the factory overboost tune. It's about $1000.00 but sure wakes this car up. My had a trans wine at about 130,000 that dealer claimed I needed new transmission. Still going at 310,000 miles.
That's fantastic! Great service life... Factory has plenty of go! Tires have their job cut out trying to put the power down. Did you notice reduction in fuel mileage with the tune?
Mileage only decreases if you put your foot into it. You will get some torque steer but if you think that car is fun now, you haven't seen nothing. The car feels like it has a small v8 with the over boost feature. They replace the map sensors, give it a tune and some stickers and your ready to go. Just make sure they crimp new wires correctly.
@Brian Hampton Yeah. I've read about it. Sure is a lot of fun as is tho. We might tune it eventually. But we average 30mpg and that's with plenty of turbo time... love how hard the car will corner too. You really piled the miles on!!! It's a great hwy car for cruising...
@@juanfranciscogarcia3167 Different springs and shocks. I believe the control arms are the same... but haven't researched it. Some parts cross over but not all
I'm not certain on the year. It is the "Made in Germany" version though. You'll typically hear the chain slap on start up if it fails. Although, not always.
Sounds like the perfect car .. why sell? BTW great video. I'm actually picking one up a low mile SS this weekend. This video got me excited but i wish the one I bought was orange like yours instead of red. Good luck with your sale it looks really clean.
@@TruckCamper Sadly When i went to go pick up my car it had undisclosed water damage and smelled horrible like mold so I got my money back. i'm on the east coast and it's a shame you guys live so far away ... i have no idea how i would get it to RI lol
Steven Houle Drive it! I live in West Virginia and have bought two vehicles in California and one each in Nevada and New Mexico. Flew out, bought the vehicle, drove it home. Takes about a week to do it super comfortably (I don't like to drive much more than 6-8 hours in a day), but it's a super-fun road trip with a friend or significant other. I've bought all of my vehicles from the southwest, there's no getting a clean one on our side of the country.
That's exciting. Pay attention to the timing chain. These motors have had issues with the chain tensioner. If you hear chain slap noise at startup then get it fixed. Have fun!
I had a 2010 SS the 09-10 timing chains are a little better also there are few more cool upgrade like suspension and more gauges It is a really reliable and fun rare car. I miss mine, I traded it in on a Corvette! Have fun with it :)
I picked up a 2009 SS Flash Blue Metallic 5 speed with the performance package ( limited slip and Brembo brakes) with 91,000 in March. The car is a lot of fun stock, can't wait to put some bolt ons and a tune.
@@mattclark7724 I had the same one but a 2010. I ended up putting a larger turbo and intercooler hotter plugs and larger fuel pump, headers and dyno tuned it, put solid motor and trans mounts too. ended up being 412 hp Talk about a sleeper! It was so quick, I embarrassed so many I raced! lol Ended up trading it in for a Corvette, which I still have.
@@catamihai4183 I agree "Expedition Truck Camper" they are rare and Chevy really went all out when they built them. The performance division had a lot to do with the build of this car too and it actually was road tested on the famous Germany Newburg track as well ! It's not uncommon for them that are good condition to go for $11,000-14,000 and higher for Excellent condition and very low millage ones.
Worst car I ever owned, always something wrong with it. The ride was so rough that when you drove over the yellow line you could feel it. Only good thing was engine and trans.
That's too bad. We love ours! The factory tuned suspension makes cornering and handling fun. It's an incredible combination of eco, fun and utility. There's no vehicle that comes close.
@@TruckCamper I wish no it's a LT I Have up on offer up and Facebook Marketplace if You wanna Checkit out ,✅ I Love Your SS Tho Bro I look forward to Owning one Later on
@@TruckCamper Oh that was stock? OK then. Did not know they did that on modern cars from factory. My bud has a 65 Vette stock and it has side pipes and is super loud. Feel like you are doing 100 when you doing 50 just due to the rumble. If you turn the key off for 1 second while running then back on it collectts gas in the side pipes then explodes like a M-80 makes people JUMP if they are on the sidewalk. My kid has a HHR but its a normal sounding car not fast 4 cyl gets good miles been a solid car in terms of reliability.
@@TruckCamper I think they are super nice still in 2023 because they are not like any other car. Today all SUVs have the exact same look. Nothing sets them apart like the HHR.
![The best factory GM sleeper? || 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS w/Turbo Upgrade || Full Tour [4k]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SBo43TKq4eM/mqdefault.jpg)
I have a 2009 HHR SS panel that I bought new. 1 of 216 built. 1 of 9 in Aqua Blue Mettalic . Now has 135 thousand miles . My cruisein & car show machine. Love mine. Alot of spectators never heard of these cars of course GM didn't advertise these let alone never seen a panel SS! Still have the original window sticker when I went to pick it up.
That's a special car you have!! They launched in the depths of the recession... so no wonder they failed. And consumers buy on looks... HHR was funky. But I like it. Especially the blend of performance and functionality. Thanks for sharing your story!
I had a 2007 base HHR, 2.2 L w/ 5-speed stick. I really liked it. And even thought the sticks are SO hard to find on these cars, I also feel it's the the way to get it. With any or these smaller cars with 4-bangers, it seems to me that automatics are more expensive and can be more problematic in the long term as well as usually not being as fuel efficient. I sold it because I ended up with a surplus of 4door vehicles. But I took my time and enjoyed it for over 6 months before selling it. Another thing I like about at is that it's powerful enough to where you can drive it in states with higher elevation and 80 mph speed limits and you can set the cruise at 80 and it'll handle that speed all day without the engine having to work really hard and have the rear seats down and mass luggage taking up all the room there is. Perhaps if I lost all my vehicles in a natural disaster and needed to get a car again just to have one, the HHR is at the top of the list.
Yes! Manual is the best. Now imagine if you had twice the power with the SS version. Soo fun!!
I have a 2007 Lt2 since it was new. Still love the car.
Totally agree with your review. Found one almost accidentally and the SS version really sold me. Mine is a 2009 manual with the performance package. Has pretty low miles - around 60,000. Great combination of power and utility, plus it is pretty unique. I’ve have several cars, but this one is turning out to be a favorite.
Thanks for sharing! It's hard not to love everything this car is... at least if you can enjoy the styling. Really cool combination of utility, practicality, economy and fun.
Them carpet mats were made by Autoeum Corporation in Bloomsburg Pa. They had a contract with GM to make those mats thru its production years.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Your video made me love mine 09 LS even more. It's really a utilitarian vehicle and even at 155hp it's still an enjoyable car. Make sure you look at the fuel line that run thru an insulation next to muffler. Very common for it to leak due to trapped moisture and road salt. Mine at 140kmi is leaking now I'm waiting for parts, nickel copper and brass fitting.
That's awesome! Thankfully, this car has never seen snow or salt. It has had a rather nice life and lives in the garage. Enjoy your HHR. Thanks for sharing! :)
Excellent video! I'm buying one tomorrow just like yours but RED. I'm actually excited to get it. 2008 SS 5 SPEED
I'm definitely going to look out for timing chain issues. It's at 114k miles.
That is awesome!
I have an orange 2008 as well. Owned since 2016. A fantastic combination of quick, practical, and fun. Incredible value. Cheers!
You have our twin! They are such a great utility, eco and fun rig. Is yours a manual?
Great video. Good to see someone who appreciates kind of silly 2000s cars like you do.
Thanks! We love the reject cars... So much fun. :)
Agreed got my 2009 back from my daughter having it then my parents. I love it again !!! 👍👌
Awesome!!! We sold ours and miss it. Such a great utility, fun, economical car.
@@TruckCamper dang ; aint that the truth. So easy in and out ; great seating position;zips down the road and through traffic. Great handling . So versatile. It’s hard not to like it . 👍👌
Nice, very nice car. Very tempting, optioned correctly, very clean. Thanks for making this detailed video.
Glad you enjoyed. It is a special, unique car.
I get 23 mpg in my manual ss, of course I do a lot of city driving and love to hear the turbo lol
That's not bad for city driving... sure is a fun car!!
I have an HHR and love it. I camp in it all the time.
Awesome! It's a great utility and economical car. Bit funky looking but fun! :)
Great vid! I’m in cali and also have a 2010 ss model. I drive it as much as I can!
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Love it.
Had 2 non SS,had my 2007 ls 5 speed since new.
Will have one someday for street fun.
My 07 ls is my desert buggy.
Does great off road in the AZ deserts.
That's awesome! SS version is an entirely different animal. They are such a fun, funky vehicle!
@@TruckCamper
Yes,ive driven a few.
They are alot if fun.
I just never had the coin to buy one outright.
I'm on disability so i just keep rebuilding this one for now as I can.
And it works well for what I do with it.
Can't find another car this simple,with this much room still this great mpgs and easy to fix and modify.
Reliable,even when beat on.
Just change the fluids and maintenance and great.
Mine has been over 3/4 of the USA
Almost 14 years of abuse and faithful service.
Awesome Video!!! Great HHR SS content!! Thank you!
You bet! We love this car... Such a weird fun, economical and practical wagon. :)
Awesome video Sir, Ma'am. I have an 2010 standard shift which I purchased June 2019 with 22,788 miles on it. I love mine as well. Thanks for sharing
That is incredible! Keep it nice. They are becoming hard to find...
What did they go for new just curious thanks for posting
Think it was mid $20k range
HHR have complete Saab drive train's. These are good for 250k miles.
It is crazy solid. Really enjoy this car!
enjoyed the vid, always liked the HHR, now I gotta have one :-) would have never thought it checked so many boxes - Thanks
Do U still have Sherbi ?
@@Jake2670 We do. Message me if you'd like info.
Interested in one of these.... there is a automatic one up for sale in my area. I like the space, power, and actually the design isn't bad at all its unique plus it would look good next to my Cobalt SS Turbocharged.
They are fun, functional and economical. A rather strange but excellent combination
Why I don't see noone driving these cars nomore
@@farrahmackey1875 They are getting old... people junk them.
I had a 2019 Kia Stinger GT1 that I went 150 in one time, and I couldn't imagine going that fast in an HHR SS.
It gets up there rather quickly. We haven't been at top speed... I'd want a track and fresh tires to try that. But I'm happy at much slower speeds. :)
I have a manual 08 ss in sunburst orange also with a cat delete
Rare car!!! Have fun with it...
@@TruckCamper yeah I am I blew my trans and it’s being replaced with a cobalt ss transmission as they have a reputation of being a little tougher
Get the factory overboost tune. It's about $1000.00 but sure wakes this car up. My had a trans wine at about 130,000 that dealer claimed I needed new transmission. Still going at 310,000 miles.
That's fantastic! Great service life... Factory has plenty of go! Tires have their job cut out trying to put the power down. Did you notice reduction in fuel mileage with the tune?
Mileage only decreases if you put your foot into it. You will get some torque steer but if you think that car is fun now, you haven't seen nothing. The car feels like it has a small v8 with the over boost feature. They replace the map sensors, give it a tune and some stickers and your ready to go.
Just make sure they crimp new wires correctly.
@Brian Hampton Yeah. I've read about it. Sure is a lot of fun as is tho. We might tune it eventually. But we average 30mpg and that's with plenty of turbo time... love how hard the car will corner too. You really piled the miles on!!! It's a great hwy car for cruising...
I have a 2009 HHR SS metallic blue half panel , only two hundred were built for 2009 , none for 2008 ,2010 .
Those are sweet!! Will be interesting if they ever gain popularity. We love ours. Funky fun and functional.
Hold on to yours , don't let it go . It's an extremely rare vehicle .
@@nelsonvargas3087 That's the plan for now...
I already have the regular hhr, I would like to get the ss, but tell me about maintenance, how expensive is in comparation with the regular one
Not much difference for maintenance... does run on premium fuel, tires are more expensive but nothing is crazy spendy like a German car
@@TruckCamper arm controls and suspension is it the same in both cars? (Regular-ss)
@@juanfranciscogarcia3167 Different springs and shocks. I believe the control arms are the same... but haven't researched it. Some parts cross over but not all
@@TruckCamper okok thank you for take time to answer me, awesome video!
@Truck Camper is it still for sale??
Not currently. Although if we were offered $15k then we would consider it. :)
I want one SOOOOO bad!
We'd entertain selling for $15k. :)
@@TruckCamper Sadly I'm unemployed right now and can't afford that, but thank you so much for your reply.
I got a 2008 HHR SS and there is a switch in the side of the center counsel , what is it for ?
Good question! I haven't looked at it... will check it out.
tnx man for a good vid have a 2008 ss version aswell love the car tbh
They are surprisingly good! Enjoy your ride. :)
What model year was the revision done on the timing chain tensioner?
I'm not certain on the year. It is the "Made in Germany" version though. You'll typically hear the chain slap on start up if it fails. Although, not always.
09-10 :)
Have u sold it ?
Nope. Still enjoying it
Sounds like the perfect car .. why sell? BTW great video. I'm actually picking one up a low mile SS this weekend. This video got me excited but i wish the one I bought was orange like yours instead of red. Good luck with your sale it looks really clean.
Hope you enjoy your new ride! We do love the car. Planning to travel next year and don't want to have it sitting... Cars should be driven. :)
@@TruckCamper Sadly When i went to go pick up my car it had undisclosed water damage and smelled horrible like mold so I got my money back. i'm on the east coast and it's a shame you guys live so far away ... i have no idea how i would get it to RI lol
Steven Houle Drive it! I live in West Virginia and have bought two vehicles in California and one each in Nevada and New Mexico. Flew out, bought the vehicle, drove it home. Takes about a week to do it super comfortably (I don't like to drive much more than 6-8 hours in a day), but it's a super-fun road trip with a friend or significant other. I've bought all of my vehicles from the southwest, there's no getting a clean one on our side of the country.
Must a late model year SS. The option was available the last 6 months of 2008!
Yep. 2008-2010. Seems the sales were slow for all the years... guess that's what happens in the midst of a crashed economy! Bad timing.
I wasn't thinking about trying one of these car
🦻 Did you sell your
HHR: { Price point }
For my future shopping Reference❓
Nope. We would consider selling for $14k. Think we are over 65k now on it. :)
Going to buy one next week just making sure it’s legit 🤞🏽😏
That's exciting. Pay attention to the timing chain. These motors have had issues with the chain tensioner. If you hear chain slap noise at startup then get it fixed. Have fun!
I had a 2010 SS the 09-10 timing chains are a little better also there are few more cool upgrade like suspension and more gauges It is a really reliable and fun rare car. I miss mine, I traded it in on a Corvette! Have fun with it :)
@@user-df5hr9uy4w Yes. It's great to have utility functionality with fun!! Thanks for sharing
@@TruckCamper definitely 3700 hope it’s worth it lol 😂
@@waltsteez994 That's cheap!
2008 had a porous block mixing oil and water happened to mine at 118k
Bummer!! Haven't heard of that being a widespread issue. I've seen many 2008s with 200k plus on original motor... you might have gotten a bad one.
Just found the video, and thank you, i put soccer mom, lets go Brandon on mine, those basic B dont wont no smoke
Soccer mom sleeper for sure
I've been hunting hard for one of these but only with a manual gearbox.
thats the hard part, and to get one with low miles even harder.
Manual is the only way to go. It's an excellent gear box too.
I picked up a 2009 SS Flash Blue Metallic 5 speed with the performance package ( limited slip and Brembo brakes) with 91,000 in March. The car is a lot of fun stock, can't wait to put some bolt ons and a tune.
@@mattclark7724 Congratulations, very happy for you. Video coming soon? 😁
@@mattclark7724 I had the same one but a 2010. I ended up putting a larger turbo and intercooler hotter plugs and larger fuel pump, headers and dyno tuned it, put solid motor and trans mounts too. ended up being 412 hp Talk about a sleeper! It was so quick, I embarrassed so many I raced! lol Ended up trading it in for a Corvette, which I still have.
the designer who came up with the pt cruiser designed the hhr
Yep. Much better functional design. Increased usability for cargo capacity. Plus the drivetrain massively better.
Please let me know when you decide to sell it ! Hahaha
We may sell it in the next year or so. But it won't be cheap! :)
@@TruckCamper for how much , roughly ? Thanks again !
@@catamihai4183 $12-13k but not sure what to replace it with yet...
@@TruckCamper i better start saving right now ! Hahaha
@@catamihai4183 I agree "Expedition Truck Camper" they are rare and Chevy really went all out when they built them. The performance division had a lot to do with the build of this car too and it actually was road tested on the famous Germany Newburg track as well ! It's not uncommon for them that are good condition to go for $11,000-14,000 and higher for Excellent condition and very low millage ones.
Worst car I ever owned, always something wrong with it.
The ride was so rough that when you drove over the yellow line you could feel it.
Only good thing was engine and trans.
That's too bad. We love ours! The factory tuned suspension makes cornering and handling fun. It's an incredible combination of eco, fun and utility. There's no vehicle that comes close.
I'm selling my 2006 HHR with very Low miles 87,000 miles I'm located in California
Is it an SS? Should be easy to sell
@@TruckCamper I wish no it's a LT I Have up on offer up and Facebook Marketplace if You wanna Checkit out ,✅ I Love Your SS Tho Bro I look forward to Owning one Later on
Needs a new muffler
No way! Love the stock SS exhaust. Sadly we sold the car. It has been missed.
@@TruckCamper Oh that was stock? OK then. Did not know they did that on modern cars from factory. My bud has a 65 Vette stock and it has side pipes and is super loud. Feel like you are doing 100 when you doing 50 just due to the rumble. If you turn the key off for 1 second while running then back on it collectts gas in the side pipes then explodes like a M-80 makes people JUMP if they are on the sidewalk. My kid has a HHR but its a normal sounding car not fast 4 cyl gets good miles been a solid car in terms of reliability.
@Physics072 Yes, it was a well equipped car. Really strange but fun and great value. I like wierd undesirable vehicles. :)
@@TruckCamper I think they are super nice still in 2023 because they are not like any other car. Today all SUVs have the exact same look. Nothing sets them apart like the HHR.
Someone buy mine I hate it
Do share... what is the story?
Where are you located and is it an SS?