On Friday I got in my first fender bender with the HHR. Actually it was more like a really hard love tap. I was stopped at a red light then wham. I was hit hard enough to say WTF! My wife stopped me from getting out of the car to talk to the person. So she gets out and was ready to go crazy on the person till she found out it was a little old man. We turned off to get the old man's info and look also to look at my car. I was dumb founded to find out there was no damage done to the HHR, none at all. One part of me was upset that I could make a claim (I know some auto body mechanics), the other part was glad that I didn't have to make a claim. The HHR is like a Sherman Tank.

 

I wouldn`t say tank too loudly, you may dent the hood.
I was amazed how thin the metal was on my Ride when I washed it for the first time, scary thin... made me nervous.

 

I come from driving a 91 chevy caprice wagon, now talk about a tank, but chevy did use thicker metal on teh hhr than most auto makers would now adays. They kind of had too because of all the complex curves.

 

eat world....

Do you know this for a fact, or is it just an opinion?

For research reasons, I'm trying to determine panel thickness of EACH body panel. What I have been told, is GM has not changed (reduced or enlarged) the metal thickness. They have however, changed the "hardness" spec. (generally called the rockwell), to conform to the curves necessary for the styling lines demanded by the consumer.

Desert Coyote....can you ask your "design" wife about this. At least, if the hypothesis is correct.

 

You should look at the bumper and make sure that it wasn't damaged past the point of the 25mph safety limit. The rear pannel covering the bumper could be the same 'dent resistant' metal that GM uses on the Saturn.

Better safe than sorry.

 

I don't know this for a fact, but in my experience working in an autobody shop a couple of years ago most cars built now you can't even weld on becuase you will blow right though it. Plus one of the major reasons why cars don't have many complex curves in them now is because the steel can't take those bends without breaking.

 

Wow thats good, I always think of my moms van I drive as a Tank also. lol

 

My question is still ......

Doesn't the bend depend on the "hardness" of the metal??? The softer the metal the greater the bend. The harder the metal the more likely to fracture. I was told you can bend metal into any shape as long as the proper metal, pressure and incremental dies are used (truck tilt cab hinges, grease cup seals and steel wheels were used as an analogy).

Come on somebody out there must have some stamping plant, tool and die experience.

I'm dropping this topic for now...I'm way off thread content. I'll start something new on a later date... My apologies to ghstrider. And, I agree with GDZHHR...clean it up and reallky check it out.

 

I'd still have it checked out. I was in a very similar accident. I didn't think there was anything but the insurance adjuster, theirs not mine, found over $400 in damage. Some within and under the bumper and some surface that I didn't see until she pointed it out. I'd recommend washing it before you have it checked too, the dirt had hidden some of the flaws.

 

Better off safe than having your HHR F'd up