Sirius for GBMINI#6

Since The Great Ice Cream Run last year, I’ve been listening to Sirius Satellite Radio in GPMINI, using a receiver hard-wired in to the Alpine head unit, giving clear sound and artist/etc displays.
In GBMINI#6, I installed a factory AUX input cable and I’ve been using the “portable” Sirius receiver that I bought last year for my SiriusXM comparison; I had the little receiver stuck in a cup holder, which allows me to hear it but makes reading the display and pressing buttons a little tricky!

Over the last week or so, I’ve been updating the sound in GBMINI#6 – the factory iPod interface came out (which is un-necessarily challenging due to the way it is installed), and I have a Dension Gateway 300 installed from MikeyTheMINI (more on that, later!) … side note: It’s a bit easier to work on the stereo in a Convertible, dropping the top gives you lots more visibility 🙂


So I decided to tidily install the Sirius receiver; I tried a few places and finally settled on putting it under the toggle switch panel … with the help of my work colleague Christian, a piece of copper was bent to provide a nice bracket to fit the receiver to the bottom of the switch panel, and I’m really quite happy with the results!

A perfect (weather) day

It happens sometimes … end of winter, and we get a special day with warm dry weather, blue skies – and a chance to properly drive in GBMINI#6 with top down and windows open!

I took the long long way to lunch today – and didn’t get any lunch! I also took the long way home this evening, although along the coast roads it was a bit cool, requiring the raising of windows 😉

A tale of two dealerships

Dealership #1:
A car needs repair work after a minor accident. Wait nearly a month, then leave car for a few weeks.
When car is ready, go to collect. Notice that airbag warning light is on. Notice that rear bumper damage is not repaired.
Dealership says bumper not repaired because it wasn’t on the insurance adjusters list (!) and airbag light is on because of the accident.
Leave car another day.
Chase dealership by phone to see if car is ready.
Pick car up again. Notice new scratches on rear bumper. Notice dirty tar marks and other untidiness on car. Be happy that airbag light is now off.

Dealership #2:
Leave car to get some vibration / rattles resolved and to get steering wheel replaced.
Get call same day advising work will take longer than one day.
Get call next day when work is completed.
Collect car. All work done. Car clean. Friendly dealership folks chat about life, cars and future events. Be happy you own this car.

Guess which dealership is MINI of Peabody and which is a hopeless Infiniti place …

Meanwhile, some pictures of GBMINI#6, now sporting the same wonderful JCW leather steering wheel as GPMINI – and by coincidence parked next to Jock’s new Clubman, waiting for him to pick it up 🙂