That's what I did and it made an amazing difference. I can see lights now, and my head isn't rubbing the headliner. I'm 6', but I have the sunroof cutting into my headroom.

 

Like a suit, sometimes you have to alter it to fit you just right..

 

Like me, you are probably long waisted. I too rub the lip of the sunroof at all times, and if I hit a bump, the wonderful rear suspension smashes me into it. Once again, dumb me, bought the car via internet, after driving models w/o sunroofs, or "Sport seat". I'll get that mirror thingie, but really, w/o lowering the seat, I don't think that's gonna cut it. Once you get into cutting, welding, and repainting the seat, all of which I'd have to farm out, and is not easily reversible for resale, it seems complicated. Since the seat has to accomodate different people, of different sizes, a racing seat is not an option.

 

With all the problems between HHR SS owners and Cobalt SS/TC owners, same platform, engine, and drivetrain, I'm seriously thinking about trading the HHR SS next year on a 2011 V6 Mustang with the performance package. I feel so strongly that GM puts out crappy quality vehicles these days that I'm going to forego my GM discount and go with another brand. I've owned nothing but new GM vehicles for the last 20 years, but every GM vehicle I have owned (minus the 04 Saturn Ion QC, if you can believe that) has had major issues. I'm talking about owning each of these vehicles new,fully paid off, except for 2 that I traded in with 1 year left to pay off.

I will be a little upside down with trade in, about 2k, but only because of the huge rebate on the HHR SS and GM discount combined (so I feel lucky in those regards). I only have 7k miles on the car since Aug of 09., I just don't feel like dealing with the l o n g wait to fix things with the LNF platform when my car breaks. I think parts are even going to be harder to get, since the only car to have the LNF now is 1 model of the Buick Regal.

A local guy had to wait 3 months for a transmission rebuild on his Cobalt SS/TC, he wanted a new transmission and GM would not do it. So it took 3 months to get the parts to fix it, he had the car back one day and the transmission went out again. He had to wait another 2 weeks to finally get a new transmission put in. Now GM did take 3 months of payments off his total, but 3 months to get your car fixed is a little rediculous. From what I read on here and Cobalt sites, it seems that LNF parts take extra long to get and then its hit or miss if they fix the issue without it reoccuring again.

I know what your going to say, all manufacturers have these problems. But the funny thing in all the years I've owned new GM brand vehicles I find it amazing hardly any of my friends with other brand cars have had major issues (mainly Japanese brands).

 

Moving to Ford will catapult you into a whole new world of service misery. Half the time you get the wrong part from the dealer, because the factory changes parts so frequently. You practically have to know what shift your car was built to get the correct part. Horror stories abound regarding expensive failures of unnecessarily complicated computerized geegaws. A friend of mine is a Ford dealer mechanic and is always posting up "WTF were they THINKING?" threads. His personal car is a GM. Having said that, the new Mustangs are very nice, but if you don't get the new 5.0 V8, you're crazy.

 

I went to a custom van shop (wheelchairs, disability mods, etc) to ask to have this done. They wouldn't for liability reasons. I have the same issues you do and I'm 5'11". The mirror, even pushed up to the ceiling still robs a huge chunk of visibility. The visors are useless. I did enough research to not get the sun roof, this helps.

I love the SS, love the seats, just wish they'd go 2" lower. If anyone knows a shop that will do this, post up! I'd drive half way across the country to have it done. With the resale so awful (I have 17K on mine) I'll be keeping this car for a long time.

JIm

 

Except Ford was rated 2nd in build quality and reliability in 2010 by JD Powers, people can say what they want. Ford has been getting rave reviews by everyone since the new take over in management with there new products, the new Taurus, Fusion, Mustang and Trucks. Heck they are even bringing a Escort ST turbocharged to market.

Why get a 5.0 Mustang, the V6 traps 13.5 in the 1/4 from the factory (with the 3.31 gears) and gets 31 mpg. Last time I checked that was faster then a HHR SS and as fast or a little faster then a Cobalt SS/TC and the Mustang is RWD.
Also the V6 Mustang with the performance package handles better then the new 5.0 GT

 

A. Someone's been reading Ford ads. J.D. Power doesn't have to fix 'em. Try replacing a servo diverter actuator on a Ford climate control. 8 hours shop time and the part is evidently made of platinum. Time to refinance the condo. And wait around for two more deliveries from the dealer till they finally get you the right part. J.D. Power is blissfully unaware of this kind of stuff. How about complete lack of availability of critical service parts after just a few years? I'm telling you, it's a flippin' nightmare. I can't think of a single professional mechanic, and I know a lot of them, who wouldn't rather have hemorrhoid surgery without anesthesia than work on Fords. OK, I'm exaggerating. With anesthesia, it's a toss.

B. The V6 is fast. The new 5.0 is stupid fast. They finally justified all that space they've been taking up under the hood since the modular V8 launched.

 

You got that right! I had an '01 Mustang Cobra, and the motor was huge with the twin cam heads. On that body style, it was mounted pretty high, and if it weren't aluminum, would have really screwed up the center of gravity. Ah yes, gone are the days of the Ford V8 being incredibly overrated, HP-wise.

 

Last weekend I caved in to the same thoughts and pulled the Trigger. I got 11,800 for my HHR SS trade-in with 59,000 miles. I loved my car but as a daily driver and knowing that if it truely breaks your down for a long unknown time just wouldn't cut it. I just figured it's time to get as much money out as I could. I even had 40k more of extended warranty but it doesn't help if there are no parts and service that is not able to root cause correctly. It's been over a month waiting for a wastegate solenoid which wasn't the problem. All this time it was dealer OK'ed to drive in limp mode.