Yep, I wouldn't take mine through the auto wash anymore since gettign the shorty antenna either. Plus they would probably also ruin my tail light vinyl covers.
As far as the antenna. the quality is some what good, but the paint will come off the base very easily so be careful when handling. I had to use a sharpie to fill in the small spots where I scraped the paint. I was using a needle nose plier to tighten it and slipped...