So today I did my first Zaino application and so far I’m not that impressed by the results. Its a lot of work: first I gave the MINI a wash in liquid Dawn to get rid of surface much; next, I used a claybar to get rid of surface contaminants; another wash this time in the Zaino car wash liquid; then a polish with their Z2 wax; another polish with their Z5 wax; finally another polish with the Z2. Is the result really that much better than spending $10 at the hand car wash in El Centro? Well, its dark now so its really hard to tell but sat here panting it sure seems like $10 is a bargain.
Found a solution to the satellite radio problem. Some car kits come with an FM modulation device which broadcasts the satellite reception on an FM frequency, you can listen just by tuning in the MINI radio to the right channel. I would guess there is some small quality loss compared to the direct connection solution but I doubt my ears would be able to tell. I think I will pick something up after Christmas, and I’m thinking of subscribing to Sirius rather than XM.