Set your parking brake kids...

This is what may happen if you don't-

This HHR came out of the parking lot at the top of the hill (sans driver), crossed 3 lanes of traffic, went over center divide, crossed 3 more lanes of traffic and finally came to a stop IN our Aston Martin.

Rammed the back end in to our showroom wall.

I'm sure it will buff out...

I cannot say that I have ever seen someone with an automatic transmission set the parking brake.

I have made the mistake of not setting the brake while in neutral. I ran back in the house, and found my car on top of the neighbor's sapling in their backyard. That's when I learned that the family garage was not level.

What is it with high-end cars that makes them so attractive to damage?

Ouch. Is the owner/non-driver of the HHR insured at least?

I stayed cleared of my bosses after this happened. For some reason they weren't in a very good mood

It's a clean/new HHR SS, so my guess is that it is insured. Between the repair bill and the Aston's depreciation in value, it's going to be $$$$$.

Yeah, that Aston is not a cheap car (sorry, I had to have a look how much it was advertised for). I guess it's also incredibly cheap to repair...

I'd like to know what the estimate comes to on the Aston.

The HHR is an SS model and most likely a manual trans. Sad, 2 nice cars messed up...

I have an auto on the disco.. just like all the manual cars that came before it.. I always et the handbrake when I get out. Just a good habit

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

Yep, peered in to the window and the HHR is manual. The owner should probably get an auto though, that way he couldn't remove the keys without it being in Park.

Datsun1500 wrote:

Cotton wrote: I'd like to know what the estimate comes to on the Aston.

I cracked a taillight and bumper on one a few years ago, it was $7000 in damage...

If you don't fix it right away, with the adjusted value due to the damage, maybe you can enter it in the $2014 challenge?

I always park in gear. It's a good thing my engine has good compression.

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

Really, 2 nice cars? What else did the HHR hit?

Trans_Maro wrote: In reply to Gearheadotaku: Really, 2 nice cars? What else did the HHR hit?

Hey, HHR SS is awesome. Stick shift turbocharged wagon? Make fun of the cars they make to try to please enthusiasts and we don't get any more of them, c'mon...

(No, I'm not going to go buy one, but they get a pass from me.)

I assume this was the result of a faulty ignition switch and not the lack of parking brake.

I'm sure I can request the accident report from the hit and run on my house. Turns out that isn't a good idea when you live across the street.

In reply to dculberson:

Enthusiasts like cars that are visually appealing too.

Ever ridden in an HHR? I have, it makes me a sad panda.

I'm just not interested in ever owning and of the new GM's (outside of maybe the Corvette, but $$$$).

Reason being, this http://www.streetfire.net/video/chevy-camaro-deploys-airbag-while-drifting_2297253.htm

I also saw one do it at a local autocross.

Somewhere I saw a video of an HHR deploying them at a time trial or HPDE situation.

They have the side airbags on a hair trigger, not very conducive to performance driving.

Air bags don't go off people complain, they go off too easy people complain. They just can't win.

I used to only set the parking brake on the auto xB on hills to keep pressure off the parking pin, not really for keeping it from going bye-bye.

DrBoost wrote: If you don't fix it right away, with the adjusted value due to the damage, maybe you can enter it in the $2014 challenge?

I like the way you think. I'll run it by the boss

It took me a while, but I eventually convinced SWMBO to set the parking brake on her automatic Mariner whenever she parks it. I've never not set the parking brake on a stick when parked, never not left it in gear AND, if parking on a hill, made sure the wheels were aimed so it would roll into the curb and not out into the road.

Parking brake? What the heck is that? I've heard of an E-brake. That's the thing you yank up on when you want to go around a curve sideways. Never heard of a parking brake.