Everything broken on my RARE and DUMB Chevy HHR SS Panel with 200,000 miles! (My mechanic HATES it)

Thanks ‪@CarWizard‬ for the inspection ‪@100PercentJake‬ for the race and ‪@WatchJRGo‬ for the graphics!

[@longbrownroad1]

Thanks you for the honorable mention Hoovie. My collection is real and I am always looking to add nice examples. I have a couple of friends collecting them now also.

[@ArcofZen]

Have you modified any in terms of realising a few more horses?

[@longbrownroad1]

@@ArcofZen One of my Panel SS's has a tune. It is a manual also. It's fast!

[@rarerides]

It was always the random quirky cars that I fell in love with, too. Owned over 300 vehicles- my favorite? a 1990 Mitsubishi Montero. Bury me in it.

[@eaauto6182]

@@rareridesI’d love to own a Montero

[@bernard12324]

You are man for collecting! Keep it up!

[@originbliss9488]

The classic old Top Gear door sticker joke! Hoovie you legend!

[@zorbathegreek192]

I was just thinking about that, I think it was on BMW 3 series Jezza put it on?

[@jbranche8024]

Why is the car sticking its bottom lip out.

[@paulcarmi8130]

@@zorbathegreek1923 series diesel from when they went endurance racing. Legendary episode.

[@resplendentwitticism]

“Oh cock” 🤣🤣

[@zorbathegreek192]

@paulcarmi8130 ah yes, I remember now. That was on the back of James May planting the wrong crop, which resulted in them having lots of bio diesel.

[@will.huber0]

Hoovie seems enthusiastic again, Wizard looks like he lost weight. Everyone here seems super happy, everything feels like it came out like it was supposed to and it’s absolutely beautiful

[@mikemabike]

@@Moody_Blues_ Hoovie might be pretty rich but his wife probably got half and he needs to find a new place to live now. Also, he is holding onto cars that will appreciate or at least hold their value and ones he enjoys. Selling the C8 was a no brainer due to depreciation and he still had to auction off over 100k worth of cars which is still a good chunk of money. Sure Hoovie wasn't ever going to go hungry or homeless but he has an expensive and risky hobby and career.

[@ArcofZen]

The real mystery is how Wizard has lost weight after having been on a cruise!

[@alfredooliva5175]

Lost weight where? his left leg?

[@harrybarnes3539]

Give it some time

[@clutchthepearls3062]

If you're gonna replace the warping front brakes, you might as well do the Cobalt SS Brembo calipers/rotors/pads that were standard on the turbo Cobalt and optional on the HHR SS.

[@mizinoinovermyhead.7523]

I have these on my saab 9-3, they are wonderful and I have a full video on the swap. Its nice and easy, even easier on the hhr ss.

[@andrewjohnson4168]

yes please

[@wallacegrommet9343]

⁠The Wizard approves?

[@OxygenGenetics]

Standard on all 2010 HHR SS, 09 optional and 08 got screwed lmao. I have an 08 SS.

[@Third_eyee]

My 2010 cobalt ss has these and it’s night and day from my 06 supercharged ss

[@thecoreelementsmoto]

Hoovie being excited over a mini van while owning several exotics. My kind of people.

[@b.t.2795]

I've kinda of grown to like the HHR.

[@jerbear7952]

It was the Cadillac of minivans

[@banzaii6285]

A true car guy 👍

[@saywhatnow57]

​@@jerbear7952 I had a good friend when I was a teenager whose parents had one of these almost exactly like this one, and I just happened to be at their house when we all watched that movie for the first time. We laughed about it for weeks.

[@badledgend1172]

If he doesn't buy that silhouette, it'll be a crime against this channel.

[@mitchellgildea6944]

It's not the drag race we need, it's the drag race we deserve

[@NerdInMotion23]

Comment of the day!

[@Deke1]

As long as it's not a Drag Queen race.....

[@SMDoktorPepper]

To be fair, the HHR lost to a MODDIFIED PTT Cruiser..

[@matzrat5006]

@@SMDoktorPepper Hoovie can beef it up a bit and come gunning for a rematch.

[@SMDoktorPepper]

@@matzrat5006 exactly. Its pretty much stock right now, but it can be better.

[@nodsib]

Truly a fitting video for a throwback car, this felt like a very throwback episode with the cheap weird car, Wizard doing his thing and some hilarious Top Gear-like shenanigans and a drag race to top it off. 10/10

[@ExtraFungus]

These HHR videos helped convince me to buy one. I wanted one forever and I like the engine/platform. A few months after these were published I talked the wife into letting me get one.

[@LocalTradesman]

Did you get one yet?? I just picked up another one. I have a 2011 panel with 380K on it!! I bought it, thinking, well, hell he must have taken care of it. No problems at all. Sooo I said, "I might as well buy another HHR Panel". Yep, I have a 2007 with 80k on it now Best fricken cars on the planet as far as I am concerned. PeAcE DID YOU GET ONE YET???? LMK HOW IT IS!!

[@ExtraFungus]

@@LocalTradesman oh yeah, I picked one up for $1000 with a "bad headgasket" it wasn't bad. I've been super happy with it after fixing up all the previous neglect. 130k on the clock, 2010 former rental.

[@terrallputnam7979]

Hoovie said "There was only 217 ever made." The Wizard says, " What a shame, there should have never been that many!"

[@seriously6331]

😂 Great catch !

[@ianmontgomery7534]

I quite like it.

[@rkelley8475]

Well the wizard is not to bright! .

[@velixare6199]

Its good to see Hoovie still in spirits with his cars. Always wishing you the best

[@jazzjokesjalopies]

Don’t say Best Man! 😊

[@andrewhirsch1650]

​@@jazzjokesjalopies😲 i to poop in

[@iamgermane]

The guy who designed this car designed the PT Cruiser!

[@niagra898]

He does seem happier-good for him. 👍

[@davecoulter41]

Just a piece of knowledge the PT cruiser and the HHR were designed by the same person they moved to Chevrolet (dealer told me when I bought mine new) and that is why most people think they are the same car, (definitely improved it at Chevrolet.) I had a HHR it had 280,000 miles on it. Minimal maintenance. The hardest thing was the water pump driven by the timing chain, still easy. A great car, ran great gave it to someone who needed a car. I would Love to get another one for my Son who just got his license. He wants a SS 5 speed.

[@roaddawg831]

Bryan Nesbitt was the designer of both the PT Cruiser and the HHR. He's stated in interviews that everything he learned designing the former he made better on the latter. The Chevy is the vastly better machine, especially in SS form.

[@24479]

Iv got a 2005 cobalt ss supercharged 5 speed manual ,odometer reads 148,000 miles for sell

[@artieb997]

Hoovie is the best! Thanks Tyler for keeping the channel going better than ever. Love you and the WIzard dynamics you guys are so cool.

[@alexcat321]

The fact that this guy actually appreciates old gm cars like that van and the HHR makes him one of my fave tubers. It's rare for a Big KZbinr to care about the regular gm cars and classics. They usually only pay attention to supercars

[@lukewalker1051]

Completely agree. Tyler has owned too many $250K cars to count and yet he loves more modest outlier cars. Me too although I haven't owned the exotics that Hoovie has. I love older low volume performance cars like this. Fun on a budget. The concept of range comes to mind. True measure of a man? Not a one trick pony but someone who sees the design virtue from VW bug to 914 to old BMW 3 series to a Lambo. All good and variety is the spice of life. My outlier car? I own a 2009 Saturn Vue Redline with 3.6L 260 hp. Ruby Red. Never see another in the wild but there are a few left out there. Honestly, it surprises a lot of cars as I love to play at the stop light ballet. 47K miles. I believe it would dust both of these cars. 0-60mph in a little over 6 sec. 🙂

[@buellb0y]

“old” GM cars… Those are hardly old

[@Fordguy02]

It’s good to see some of the old style content back

[@larrycuritsjr7289]

This was great lol. Being that I own a 2010 HHR SS 5spd (non-pnl) and have owned a 5spd PT GT just thought I'd chime in on a couple things...not that anyone cares lol. The SS is a far better vehicle, build wise, maintenance & reliability. So the auto HHR SS only had 235hp, not 260. The 5spds had 260 hp and if like mine 290 (GM stage one) upgrade. Talk about a bit of torque steer...and I love every minute of it!!. I'll keep mine till death or destruction!! But seriously, great to see a little bit of love given to a very quirky, and unloved by many not in the know little gem.

[@roaddawg831]

I ordered my 2009 SS wagon with the auto for commuting. Right away I had the dealer installed GMPP turbo upgrade added and it put the HP back up to 290. But the Chevy tech warned me to service the transmission regularly as it was now at more risk. I did but it still failed at 110k miles. The replacement reman unit is still going strong at 150k miles. Fingers crossed.

[@rickosborne6521]

love the homage to classic top gear door sticker pranks. Well done, hoovie

[@SunnynPhilly]

Oh COCK 😂

[@mxfool1508]

I spat out my drink, lmao 😂

[@rcraceandbash5472]

He got that so spot on. Captain slow's favourite quote!

[@nzmarty]

I think it’s gone over about 1 million heads…

[@matthewmemoli9763]

GM actually offered a tune for these cars. You could literally go to a dealer and say I want my hhr ss tuned and they would do it. It would make about 300hp crank horsepower. The autos actually only make 250hp, and the auto trans can be slightly modified to handle more power.

[@tonicipriani]

290hp is half the story, real story is the torque increase, up to 340 lb-ft.

[@tarkus522]

The tune was a couple of sensors and a reflash. Required premium gas afterwards

[@iamgermane]

Oh how much?

[@snail_ss8078]

Yup also known as the GMS1 tune

[@Danger-Dave]

True...although with HP-Tuners you can really wake up the little 2.0 Ecotec turbo with some simple bolt-On's, Hi flow cat, 3in. cat-back exhaust, bigger intercooler, K&N intake filter and if you really want to push it, cams, springs & retainers, and a modded KO4 turbo that will get you close to 400 wheel and torque to match in the manual version. I added an AEM water/meth kit to my Redline, more to keep the intake valves from having carbon build up rather than for fueling, although it also cools the air charge.

[@danielbondar983]

If the engine is new and pulled from the top, the core support damage could be from when they removed the old engine.

[@amiloooo]

I had a 07 LT 2.4 stick and it was reliable and cheap to maintain, great station wagon for daily use, the eco-tech platform has lots of support, I definitely see my self getting another one in the near future, I'll get a SS

[@JRs-Garage]

Hahaha Now this is old skool Hoovie 😂😂 Don’t get me wrong I like Exotics, but seeing Tyler get excited about a cheap Hooptie is always funny 😆

[@cliffmay4409]

Gotta say..the comments are almost as good as the video

[@Hiram27]

It's been so long that Tyler has had a real "hooptie" worked on, he'd forgot how inexpensive hooptie repairs are.

[@nodak81]

I have a normal 2009 HHR and the drivetrain has been very reliable. I bought it used at 52,000 miles for $4,000 and since then I've put another 43,000 miles on it virtually trouble free except for the front suspension. It constantly needs new struts, bushings, brakes, etc.

[@4touchdowns1game29]

Yea I just bought one with 68000 Mike's for 4400. Front control arms were absolutely done, other than that seems to be working good.

[@johnfritz2944]

Great video Hoovie! You are seem a lot happier. You got your Mojo back!! Congrats, and keep up the good work.

[@burnzy3210]

Despite looking like a Royal Mail van, I actually really like this thing.

[@b.t.2795]

Same!

[@ivan0idea]

google { "royal nail" car } for fast red van...

[@stuc.6592]

All he needs now is a black and white cat.

[@simonorr594]

Postman Pat! Hoovie needs a black and white cat

[@grrfy]

I did a doubletake on it in the pic,even the signwriting lol

[@fastfred2009]

I had one of those. Main issue with it is you always had to back into a parking space, cuz you cannot see for approaching traffic when backing out. Also as a tall person, you had to stay back while approaching a stoplight, or would have to slouch to see the light change.

[@eric-alexandregagne7817]

Trifecta tune would be cool on the SS Panel. My friend had a manual Cobalt SS Turbo with ZZP Catless downpipe, Injen intake and Trifecta 24psi Tune and the gain was unreal.

[@paininthepatoot]

Had an HHR for about 5 years. Our company ran a bunch of these panel HHR's as technician vans. Got lot of attention but not a vehicle to be putting the high mileage we were putting on them. My Orange one was a fun little ride but also weird. If you parked at the cross walk you had to bend down to watch the lights change due to the shape of the windshield. Ultimately got too expensive to maintain so I had to get rid of it. Would have been nice to be able to have kept it as a collector item but I had to make a living so switched to a Corolla.

[@roaddawg831]

Ordered my 2009 HHR SS wagon also in Victory Red like your panel and I checked off damn near every option box then had the dealer add the GMPP turbo upgrade kit for the extra HP. Do yourself a favor and pick up a Turbo Tech Racing rear sway bar, for very few dollars it totally transformed the handling on mine, which just turned 150k miles this week. Still lovin' it!

[@jswizzlestick]

If you want a little extra oomph GM sold a Stage 1 upgrade for the SS, just a new sensor and ECU tune for another 40 ponies. Had it done to my 4 door Cobalt SS.

[@matthijs.tieleman]

Dude, same here with my Cobalt SS Coupe. Awesome cars!!

[@ProductionsJoe]

It's long out of warranty, might as well go for more grunt instead of the GM approved tune. They can get +100hp/185tq to 360hp/445tq with a E47 tune.

[@jswizzlestick]

@@ProductionsJoe I thought about going harder after it was off warranty but I didn't want to fight torque steer too much and ~300 HP felt right for a daily. To each their own of course.

[@jswizzlestick]

@@matthijs.tieleman I do miss mine quite a bit. For their time they were amazing bargains and legitimate performance cars. I think a coupe SS held the front drive time record for the nurburgring for quite awhile

[@ProductionsJoe]

@@jswizzlestick For sure. For the 50 miles or so Hoovie will drive it though the more power the better haha.

[@jays7854]

6:19 - Are we not going to acknowledge that on the pass. side, with the rear door open, the body reads "Oh C*ck"? That is magnificent.

[@finickybits8055]

Owned a 2009 Cobalt sedan SS, same engine! Funnest thing I’ve ever owned, dollar for dollar. Had mine tuned up a little to 330hp, silly fun for the little bit of money! The LNF and LDK engines were freaks of nature; all hail the HPVO group (when they get bored).😊

[@toejamr1]

I’m so happy to see Hoovie in good spirits. I know just how much what he’s going through can break a man. We really do care about you, Hoovie. You’re a good man and we can see that and are drawn to it. I’m happy to see you smiling.

[@goobfilmcast4239]

We love Hoovie....long time

[@WhittyPics]

I agree

[@Goneawaynow543]

Hoovie is a good human being, not many folks like him ❤

[@justinfleming3551]

Absolutely! I’m happy to see him looking happy too. He is a good man, so real and authentic. I hope he never stops making these truly unique and thoroughly entertaining videos! Also, I love to see Hoovie interacting with the Car Wizard. I watch his videos as well and he’s really a great guy too. He’s the real deal, honest and fair. If only all mechanics had the Car Wizard’s integrity.

[@UZForLife]

​@@goobfilmcast4239I see what you did there

[@jhb3711]

Yes!!! We are back to the old Hoovie video filming. These are the style videos that we all love about the channel..

[@Sandkei]

Seems like things are getting back to normal. Thanks Hoovie 👍

[@DoctorHemi]

I've got a 2006 HHR (first year model, mind you) 2LT 5-spd manual and it's been a dream to own. Mine has 135k miles and it still runs like new and gets 34+ mpg!

[@derekfelber743]

The door sticker paying homage to Top Gear was great! Absolutely loved it!

[@joshuaharmonb6065]

The drag race nobody wanted, but everyone had to see!! Thank you Hoovie

[@albertlaane8667]

hahaha

[@carrot_exe]

I wanted it.

[@kolejohnson73]

Not surprising that the same person designed both of them. Definitely see the inbred family resemblance. It's too bad they both got garbage engines. I absolutely loved the handiness of my hhr 1/2 panel, aa5 code.

[@elitesniper923]

​@@kolejohnson73the SRT 4 motor in the pT is actually not bad. There are guys making power with them.

[@kolejohnson73]

@@elitesniper923 i worked for Chrysler starting in 94 when they went to that engine platform, did the first head gasket and cylinder head probably in the country. I was the guy that found the plastic sealing rings would deform the block and wouldn't seal with the "upgraded" MLS gasket. I helped develop the service kit for the oil galley plugs blowing out on the back due to out of spec holes. I had a corner of my shop full of engines that spun bearings due to being low on oil from leaks. That engine series was put in almost everything, they spun the head around on the diamond star stuff. It is an inherently weak and leak prone engine, especially compared to the Honda and Toyota stuff. They incorporated alot of new technology like the powdered metal, fractured cap rods and things but Chryslers engineering at the time was a new and inexperienced. Like any engine you can have good and bad examples and anything can be improved on but it has some very significant flaws. The ecotec is in the same boat, it was an upgraded, more modern quad 4, but it had issues that resulted in catastrophic failures early and often. Both of these vehicles are innovative and useful but somehow they both ended up with failure prone engines. At least the hhr is relatively easy to work on, the PT is just too tightly packaged for most repair work. If you have a good one enjoy it.

[@chevyboss97]

When wizard laughed when hoovie reved it I lost it 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jerryc6497]

Shoot I have not seen one of those minivans in ages!! Really takes me back.

[@TheRealAlpha2]

Jake's battles with his PT are the stuff of legend. Great logo placement. 😆 Over all it seems like heaven in comparison to the PT, I look forward to the rematch.

[@FirstStateOverland]

At 0:13 that is a most unfortunate decal split.

[@anilvirginia]

0:12 They look so excited about what's in the cargo area :)

[@CarswithNash]

PT’s are super easy to work on, I really don’t understand what people are on about, there’s plenty of room around the engine. Literally the only hard thing on them is the power steering system is a pain in the butt to work on. My brother has very little mechanical experience and changed the timing belt on his PT in his garage with basic tools. They also aren’t “basically a Neon”… they share some parts with a Neon but they are a totally different car. Also the engine wasn’t from a Neon, the Neon’s engine was from the PT, the turbo PT came out before the SRT4.

[@stewiegriffin88]

You got to admire the fact that nomatter what is going on, what time of day it is, "Weezerd" is ALWAYS ready for Tyler whenever he pulls up to the shop...now THAT is dedication

[@fokit2240]

They have a contract.

[@dr.mantistoboggan4746]

Tyler has indirectly made Wizard a wealthy man that's why. He's also a genuinely good dude.

[@deadprivacy]

He just likes boats i think.

[@dbmabe]

I'm pretty sure they schedule the times for Hoovie to bring his hoopties and film his Car Wizard segments.

[@garyg8036]

🤣 It's all scripted / prearranged by Tyler. Hop in your Viper etc when I pull up.

[@AllanJr82]

My parents had a white and black Lumina APV space shuttle dustbuster with the 3100 ...We called it the All Powerful Van ..it was so quick off the line for no good reason and it just wouldn't die ever.

[@geoffhurley8103]

This video made me smile on a day when I really needed it. Thanks for making it. I've been binge watching CarTrek. Love this stuff!

[@kristjanveski]

Brilliant homage to the Top Gear trio with the Ohlmeyer's Cocktails logo. Subtle yet effective. Well done!

[@rancid216]

That's the type of car you need to start collecting. No over priced parts.

[@Mikey___]

Love that it just says 'oh cock' with the panel door open 🤣 @5:06 @6:17

[@FatHead1979]

Loving the James May/Top Gear reference on the side of it!

[@Danger-Dave]

HP Tuners and some bolt-On's and you'll have Jake in the rear-view Tyler! The HHR, Colbalt SS, All Kappa-cars. Solstice/ Sky, Colorado trucks & Cadillac SV.SVT's were all GM "parts-bin" vehicles. and shared many parts!

[@ShoelessJP]

Sending you love Hoovie, it's obviously none of our business what is going on behind the scenes... but we love you and hope things end up great for you! You're one of my favorite KZbinrs and I always look forward to your videos.

[@lukewalker1051]

Many, if not most good men get knocked down at some point because that is what life does to everybody but...can never keep a good man down. Tyler has way too much brains, talent and charisma to let this be his final chapter. Only a new beginning and no doubt best chapters yet to come.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

The HHR uses the same engine as the Saab 9-3 2.0T Aero, so parts are tuning are not an issue. Love the Dustbuster !, i used to have one here in the UK. Mine was a 88 Pontiac TransSport 3800 SE. It had a LPG gas conversion so was actually cheap to run. They were also surprisingly quick for a 80's people carrier. Could keep up with a Golf GTi of the time. Also they do not rust as the entire body is EnduraFlex, the same as the Fiero.

[@tonicipriani]

Not the same, actually. Saab's engine is Gen 1, this is Gen 2, closer to the one found in the final gen Saab 9-5.

[@davidtoups4684]

That dustbuster van must have been as rare as a unicorn fart in the UK. Bet you got a lot of looks!

[@DylanEggert0812]

​@@toniciprianing 9-5 had direct injected version of this engine

[@LocalTradesman]

I have a 2011 HHR Panel with 380K miles... love it. Soooo I recently bought a 2007 HHR Panel with 80k miles , standard. Love these fricken HHR's. I will be getting a SS I am sure of it.

[@canuckfixit7722]

25:51 "Slower than a PT Cruiser turbo" Well duh! IDK what upgrades the PT GT has but it didn't look too extreme. "There's no substitute for cubic inches like cubic inches" and the PT has a 2.4 L engine. The 5-speed MTX also helped make the clear win. 😎

[@100PercentJake]

The only "performance" upgrades of note were an intake and exhaust. A previous owner may have tuned it but I have no way to tell, currently.

[@canuckfixit7722]

@@100PercentJake Yes I noticed the K&N filter. I used to own a PTGT 5-Speed and it was like a true rocket, even in stock form. The Getrag G88 transmission felt bullet proof. Unfortunately, cylinder no1 developed an exhaust valve leak so would misfire badly once warmed up.

[@danielsinger4458]

Good on you for putting Jake in your videos. Guy makes great content and I cant beleave he doesn't have more subscribers.

[@americansmark]

I love the Ecotec LNF cars. They are ALL a blast. So are the LSJ cars with a smaller pulley or twin charge setup. I'd consider buying that off you when you get done with it.

[@adamhayden5152]

They are fun cars, I prefer the ltg cars. Specially the Cadillac ats.

[@BlooMule]

No! MINE! MINE! MINE! 😁

[@americansmark]

@@adamhayden5152 the LTG is nice, but it doesn't have the character of the LNF imo. The factory turbo was boost city and was like a 90s car in a lot of ways. The LTG cars feel very much like a strong V6 with the flat power curve. It's one of the things I dislike about modern turbo cars.

[@ARUSApacecarHAMPTON]

Fun and “cheap “! Now the price of used HHRs are going to skyrocket. Well played Hoovie.

[@SonnyGTA]

I’ve never, ever, EVER held my foot to the floor on a non moving car. That hurt. I felt that!

[@mikemoxley9477]

What a FUN video all the way around… repair cost, looks cool, great for transporting stuff around, still a fast ride!!! 216 made !!! Priceless find ! Great job,

[@skunkworks9-3]

She's a gem and needs to be put on a healthy diet of zzperformance, Powell and ottp parts. I snagged a 09 cobalt SS sedan last year and found out the turbo sedan was a 1 year deal as well. Definitely fun little cars that should have gotten more love back in the day.

[@volleyskate]

This is the cool weird that keeps me coming back. referencing the door opening at 5:57, I guess he is Captain Slow out of the Car Trek trio :D

[@Steverz32]

Did the Wizard ask if the dashboard compartment was for the jimmy hats? Classic!😂🤣😂

[@dariososa3799]

Car wizard such a car guy, just revving his viper on his free time😂 type of stuff id do myself

[@a64aquarian]

Hoovie gets all excited in the Wizard's shop....I expect him to start talking about the Porsche on the lift. He almost pushes the Porsche off the lift to get to a 90's dust buster Oldsmobile Silhouette. 😂 😂😂

[@user-ye1sr6nq7h]

I was the Commercial manager for a Chevy dealership for 34 years. I sold several of the HHR Panel trucks, mainly the base models. Remember GM dropped the Astro/Safari cargo vans in 2005, many businesses where looking for a small cargo delivery vehicle that was small to get around and got good gas mileage. So in 2007 the first Panel HHR was introduced.

[@flurpoid]

GM easily could've continued producing and selling the Astro a few more years, at least the panel versions. They were such a great work vehicle.

[@catfisher420]

​@@flurpoidthey should still be making the astro/safari. The Caravan took the market after that. HHR panels couldn't dream to take up the slack.

[@wobblysauce]

Astros are great

[@mrflippant]

Seems like the HHR panel was directly up against the Ford Transit Express.

[@marial8235]

I rented a normal one once and the GM quality was stunning. The window was already out of track and cheap plastic was falling off. But I did like it. The HHR was more peppy, but the PT was more comfortable.

[@colindavis5250]

Good to see Hoovie going back to his hooptie roots. These style videos have much more charm. Keep doin ur thing Tyler🫡

[@kaldriversson]

Having owned a PT cruiser (with multiple engine-out services), and driven a HHR panel for years.... this video has kind of given me a bit of PTSD of vehicles I wish had never entered my life

[@SteveMagnante]

HOOVIE! Great to see you're enjoying that "unicorn" HHR turbo panel van. I'm drooling over how clean and crisp the underside is. ANY vehicle from a "dry state" is instantly worth a premium over the Truk Lagoon relics I deal with here in New England. Great score! See you at Barrett-Jackson / New Orleans. -Steve Mags

[@GTcruzin]

I had this one. My 2008 SS red, was not a panel. I loved it. Black and red interior. Super chips tune, custom side pipes. It was awesome. Wish I could post a picture of min. I bet that guy has my old one lol.

[@meepmeepimajeep]

The missing "nut/kid" jokes killed me 😂

[@GTsGarageTech]

Get an e85 tune on that hhr! Maybe upgrade the inter cooler and exhaust to squeeze a few extra horses! It would be so cool to see a mini “build” on this! Make it fast and handle good! A cool true sleeper!

[@jameslonano5659]

Solid and fun episode here. Wow, the wife had a PT cruiser back in the day and when the timing belt tore itself apart on the highway, I signed the title over to the tow truck driver in exchange for a ride home. I got the better end of the deal. Oh the memories.

[@Fasteddie1085]

Very weird very rare yet oddly satisfying ❤ I actually like the HHR SS

[@rellj4369]

😂😂😂😂 me too 🙋🏽‍♂️

[@gordonfrank]

One of your best videos in a while.

[@Leebs]

Great to see a video Hoovie. Enjoying seeing you back on 👍✊

[@benjaminkamben4908]

For anyone that has never driven an HHR it is an interesting experience. It surprisingly quiet in the cab. The internals of the doors and dash have about 3" of insulation foam. These cars were a go to for a very short time because of the great stock sound deadening and fantastic door seals.

[@bwofficial1776]

@GIVEAWAY-653 Let me guess: you just need some money up front to cover shipping and handling. Get a real job, scammer.

[@ExtraFungus]

I can confirm, good sound deadening. I was going to add some in the trunk, then saw how much there was and didn't bother. I couldn't drive it when I first got it because I bought it with a misdiagnosed head gasket and I wad replacing the the cooling system that was destroyed.

[@joshuawilson7023]

I ran into the last Chevy HHR SS ever built with documentation from GM. It was beautiful. Best gas station fill up of my life. conversation started out because I had a Pontiac G5 which shared the same platform.

[@darksu6947]

My ex-wife and I ran into a regular HHR. It was that weird almost pretty purple color. They ran a stop sign and we smacked them right in the passenger side fender. We were in a 96 Civic that I had just started to fix up. The crash paid pretty well 😂

[@joshuawilson7023]

​@@darksu6947literally ran into it 😂😂😂😂

[@DirtSweatGears]

I'm SO glad you two didn't bring too much attention to the company logo when the doors are open. Genius...chef's kiss...

[@joeklopp4842]

I love that 1980 BMW 320is in the background. I owned a gray one in the early 9'0's. Loved that car. Wish I still had it.

[@mrmotorcarsrs2034]

Nice to see the HHR GETTING SOME LOVE. I have a loaded LT Great car. Owned since new 2007. 158K miles. Had a new trans tht was covered under warranty. I think it did not need it but the dealer wanted to make the money from GM.

[@dalewhite5068]

You've scored one of the best cars GM ever made. Because of your height, you will never be able to appreciate what a well designed street car the HHR truly is. The HHR best fits people 5'10" inches or less. They are the easiest car to get in and out of I've ever experienced. One drawback is its turn radius. They handle nicely and the SS is pretty quick and a riot to romp. They are known for early tie rod wear and cracked exhaust manifolds. Otherwise the little burgers are bulletproof.

[@bradenwuesthoff5639]

no these things are junk, same as the cobalt ss

[@BigWheel.]

Scion xa and xb are better options as was the pontiac vibe/toyota matrix.

[@gradyervin4696]

I'm 6'2" and have plenty of headroom, even with the sunroof and It's far easier to get in and out of than my '67 Camaro, or my wife's Elantra.

[@docgiggles130]

I’m 6’2” as well and love the headroom. I also have an HHR with 200k miles and it runs great. I just did a full tuneup and replaced the timing chain (should be replaced every 150k.) It still has the power to spin the wheels and easily drives up into the mountains in my area. I have put over a million miles across the 5 HHRs I have driven (3 company and 2 personal.)

[@docgiggles130]

@@BigWheel. It’s funny you say that. The company I used to work for tried out the Scions at the same time they were trying out the HHR. They had nothing but trouble with the Scions. The engine and transmissions where the only things on those cars that didn’t break while the HHRs all went to 300k with just basic maintenance. Not only was the cost to buy the Scions a lot higher, the cost to do maintenance on the Scion was shocking higher than the HHRs. They ended up getting rid of all the Scions and replaced them with HHRs.

[@farnthboy]

Australia here - That van looks like a modern version of a FJ Holden Panel van produced here in the mid 1950's.

[@danielstoscup755]

I love how the graphic reads when you open the door, clever.

[@200380051]

The LNF engine in that car can easily get you 320-350 hp. Lookup ZZPerformance, they got you covered. With this and Cleetus' Ariel Atom with the LSJ, its good to see the Ecotecs get some exposure

[@terrytempleton4112]

Thank you for content that us average guys can relate to. Keep up the great work!

[@based_will]

So glad there is someone else out there who shares my love for GM oddball vehicles. An HR SS Panel and a 3800 Dustbuster van are high on the list for my dream garage. Right next to a manual LS2 SSR and a VE Holden Ute SS 😂

[@MrCapri78]

What a cool looking van, I love it. Wish we had some in the uk.

[@NathanMichalik]

My guess would be this was intended to be sold as a tuner/audio build. Tons of room for speakers/equipment.

[@pmkstudios]

Finally all the work on the much hooptier PT cruiser gets 100%Jake the spotlight he deserves! Definitely worth subscribing if you prefer projects that don't need a Powerball win to play. It would be interesting to see a series where they race then they mod some more then race some more to see who is the Retro king but that would probably put Jake in therapy if he had to drop everything out one more time.

[@elitesniper923]

I must be goin crazy but I honestly thought that PT loser didn't look terrible.

[@mizinoinovermyhead.7523]

The problem with that is that no matter the type of race the HHR will win. Its not the fastest in a straight line stock but the engine can handle something like 400 whp on stock internals and the trans can do like 300, and more with a few mods to the internals. The PT cruiser is about as fast as it ever will be in this race unless you completely gut it and swap the engine to something else which there isn't much room for. I'd say that with the hersche tune for the HHR hoovie will beat the PT and it'll never catch up. Plus it'll already out turn the PT with ease.

[@100PercentJake]

@@mizinoinovermyhead.7523 the PT Cruiser engine is functionally identical to the Neon SRT4 which can very handily hit 400+ wheel horsepower (conservatively) with stock engine internals, and double that once you dig into the engine itself. They're fairly legendary, and the PT Cruiser's Getrag is actually stronger than the Neon's NVG, and is sought after by some of the truly fast Neon guys. I still hate working on it, but they can be really, truly, bizarrely quick cars.

[@mizinoinovermyhead.7523]

@@100PercentJake The Neon is good out to 700 ish HP thats with upgraded internals. They both can if reliability is not a factor hit 500 to 550 (the neon will only hit this for certain years with the oil squirters). The LNF has seen 700-750 so assuming you can do to the pt what you can do to the neon (its space constrained who knows if you can get the same turbo or intercooler or any othe other things needed to make that power) and the chassis doesn't just break in half (the stupid thing is made of paper) then you might be right. Still the HHR will definitely out turn it and out stop it any day of the week.

[@jccmuir]

I love that both sides say oh c*ck when doors are open. Classy!

[@LifeofnotBrian]

A true car guy walks straight past a Lambo and Porsche 911 to look at an Olds Silhouette. You'd win all of RADwood with that thing!

[@davevan8864]

As a early PT owner I know of the issues around service. We had 2 in the family, BOTH had failed CatCon, cooling fans and many gas caps. I did like the car, and think it's better looking than HHR.....but your HHR seems like a good deal. CHEAP to keep on the road too. thx

[@williamk5998]

I'm glad Hoovie is back on proper hoopties. I find this more interesting and accessible than the exotics and supercars. Best of luck to you in your new circumstances, Hoovie.

[@torres3800]

My dad owned a 90 Pontiac Transport with a 3.1 V6. Enjoyed training how to drive in it. It handled like a boat. I never knew they came with the 3800. When Hoovie came across that Olds, I was like 😮....

[@TimeAttack2003]

Geez.... Makes me miss my 189k mile srt neon. Sweet and SOUR memories! Nostalgia is wonderful

[@robervin9107]

This was everything I had asked for good job wizard. Proud of you bud Keep it up. Tyler you stay strong bud your doing magnificent bud I’m so proud. Love you both

[@richardcutts196]

Hoovie the dust buster van looks like a Star Trek shuttle. I'm surprised you don't already have one.

[@richardcutts196]

I've always wanted to get one for just that reason. Preferbly white.

[@BrianWalak]

Love the placement of the lettering when you open the door!!!🤣