I'm trying to order numbers for autocross, and need to find out if magnetic signs will stick. I've tried a magnet on the door, and it sticks a little; my wife swears the door is plastic, and I think if the magnet sticks there's got to be some metal there.

The problem is autocrossnumbers.com thinks that vinyl numbers will wear out really fast since my wife and I are sharing a car and need to have different numbers, and thus will be switching them twice an event. Magnetic numbers would last the longest if they'd only stick.

Does anyone have any experience with using large magnetic signs on their MINI doors? The signs I designed are 16" high.

Thanks,

Michael Czeiszperger
Chapel Hill, NC

 

magnetics DO stick to our metal car doors

 

I just had magnetic signs made and went to my first autocross. They worked fine and did not blow off. I had a single sheet with my numbers and class letters in vinyl on that magnetic sheet.

I have a 1st Gen MINI though, so there is a variable present in my observation.

D

 

What I've been told is that magnetic signs will scratch the paint underneath them. No matter how carefully you try to clean them, you will trap some grit under them. With the vibration of driving, they will rub that grit on the paint.

Why not just make some signs that you can attach to the inside of the rear side windows?

 

My club uses some large magnetic club emblem signs on the doors frequently. As long as you carefully QD the door and the back of the sign before applying, no worries. I'm extremely **** about my paint... and no scratches.

 

Good idea, but club rules are the signs have got to be on the doors...

 

Thanks for the replies! I'll go ahead with the magnetic signs. Here's a photoshop mock up of the numbers in case anyone wants to take a look:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...c&id=661533790

 

My girlfriend got her meatballs from Cooper Flags. Stuck tight and no scratching at all. She has since gone to vinyl from them as well. I recommend them. Tell them Molly with the Pi sign sent you!

 

The workers are going to hate you. try using a more contrasting color for the numbers/letters. Imagine trying to read those from an angle at 50 yards on a fast moving car.

Dark cars need light color numbers, and light cars need dark numbers. The Corner Workers of America will thank you for it.

(I use white on both the red RX7 and the Blue Mini, but white on a silver car is hard to read)

 

Our numbers stuck to the doors around Laguna Seca (a little over 100 at times). I did put a little tape on the leading edge to be sure.

 

I have been running different numbers, dragon, decals and now stripes. All hand made from magnetic sheeting! Now, you do have to plan alittle. I don't like to run them in the rain. Dirt will get under and scratch the paint. Before I put them on the car must be very clean as well as the back of the magnets.





I love that I can change the look of my mini for an event or as the mood strikes me. The sheeting is not expensive and any decal can be turned into a new look.

 

Sorry I just gotta ask.......why does she think the doors are made of plastic ?

 

I started off with magnetic numbers. I bought a set from soloracer.com that had my class letters and eight numbers (two sets of four digits) so I could come up with a bunch of different combinations depending on what numbers were available for any particular event.

I've since switched to permanent vinyl numbers/letters since I have a reserved number now, but I never had any problem with the magnetics coming off or scratching up the paint. Like Blimey, I'm extremely picky about my paint, so I just made sure to clean the magnets and the paint before applying them.

 

Yup, they were designed to be readable. The final product will look brighter than the mock-up. The numbers are pure white, as bright as it gets; the TIR letters could be changed to be white as well.

 

I've worked as a corner worker at track and autocross events for 10 years, trust me, you can't read white numbers on a silver car from more than a few feet, and at speed you will only be within the "readable" distance for a second or two (no matter how "white" they are). I agree, they look good, on a static car, at close range, but you'll make the job of the corner workers much harder and therefore the job of timing and scoring much harder by using white on silver.

Go with dark (black/blue/etc) numbers and letters unless you want to be referred to over the radios as "that damn silver Mini" by everyone working corners and timing and scoring. Your choice, but in my region, we will actively give you grief over it, just like we do the guy with light blue numbers on a dark blue car. It looks good in the paddock, but no one can read them when he's on course.

I'm having some new numbers made for the Mini. I'm getting a 16 inch white "meatball" made with the numbers cut out so the body color shows through, they should be easily read at just about any distance (and the lettering will color match the car, and look good). If you just have to use white lettering try using a darker background, or a black outline around the numbers/letters, anything to make the lettering really stand out at a distance.

 

Yes, I can see where white numbers on a bright silver car wouldn't be visible. This particular car has dark gray paint, and since its dark, the most contrast you can get is brightly colored letters and numbers, and the brightest of those is 256,256,256, i.e. all white.

 

Have you ever been married? :-)

 

(LOL)yup..........never mind

Wana have some fun ?

Next time you see her pulling into the driveway, take a hard look at her tires....then ask her if she swapped out the air in her tires from winter air to summer air yet