Mark in Baltimore

I have Elephant Racing's track skins on my car and have never had a problem with them coming off even though I don't use the neat little rubber edging that is designed to prevent the magnetic sheets from lifting up. Maybe they've never come off because I don't drive fast enough.

Anyway, I do have an extra set for a 993 that I'm willing to sell if anyone's interested.

a4944

Lowes or Home Depot AC magnetic vent covers work OK. They are white. I print out a template and then cut out the number on the white magnetic vent cover strip. Very cheap and effective. Ran the same numbers on the doors for three years without an issue. This is at 130+ down the straights.

Mark

vegasgolf98

I have e-decals magnetic numbers and they were good up to 160 mph on an roval!

Joe Weinstein

It depends on how flush you get them with the body work. I have had magnetic number stay on
at 150mph when put on flat and flush, but I have also lost them, coming off a vehicle at 30mph
if they wre put on sloppily to allow any air under the leading edge.
Joe

Bull

No problem with mag numbers staying on, including rovals, etc. I do follow all the advice given above...stored flat (inside metal hood), clean both surfaces, apply when warm and dry (usually before I leave for an event), etc. Never use tape on edges though. I did lose one when I didn't follow all precautions due to my basic, but highly developed, lazyness. So, I had my number changed from 194 to 94...now I have an extra "1".

Most that are lost at events I attend are the large all-in-one ovals, not single numbers like mine.

Z-man

My home made 'oval' magnetic number flew off once. Fortunately, I was able to recover it at the end of the day. That was the last time I didn't tape the leading edge. I just use a 2 square inch piece of racer's tape on the leading edge and it is no problem. The oval shape works very well, since it minimizes the leading surface area.

I laminated my numbers at Staples, and they use quite a thick laminate. Thus, my numbers do not krinkle or curl. I've had them since 2002 and besides the one incident, they have not left the side of my car!

My $0.42,
-Z-man.

Bob Rouleau

Here's my experience:
My magnetic numbers stay on even at 150 MPH.

o Store them flat and when not in use store them on a metal (magnetic) surface.
o Use round shapes. Anything with a corner or fancy shapes tends to fly off.

o Make sure the vinyl is cut at a 45 degree angle at the edge.

o Locate them in a sensible place on the car where the vinyl will not have to conform to curves. The hood, doors and the rear portion of the roof work well for a 911.

o The vinyl and the car need to be clean and dry before installing. I use Pledge to clean them (both sides) and the thin film of wax helps adhesion. I also pledge the area on the car where I will place the vinyl to make sure nothing can scratch. I rub them with my hand to make sure there are no air bubbles trapped underneath and that the vinly is perfectly flat on the car.

o Never apply them to wet paint. Dry thoroughly and I mean thoroughly. If you can't dry the surfaces, use something else for the day.

o Never bend them or let them curl, they will fly off unless they lay perfectly flat on the car. If the curl, I have had some luck restoring them by ironing them with low heat. Better is to lay them on a flat surface in the sun on a warm day. The right size circular vinyl will fit neatly to the underside of the hood of a 911 between the re-inforcing braces. The magnets make them stick there when not being used and they stay flat.

o The magnetic property of the vinyl seems to diminish with time. In spite of carefully storing them they loose their "cling" after about 4 years.

Best,

agio

I have used magnetic numbers for years--used to loose them on the track. So, the advice heard above works fine. I use "Magic" tape at the leading edges...hard to see and comes off pretty easily.

TT Surgeon

Used rennline #'s two yrs now, no trouble.

mglobe

Maybe a dumb question, but here goes...

The hood on a 997 is aluminum right? So... magnetic numbers won't work?

Gator_86_951

I had a set of numbers come off on the back stretch at Sebring. Three weeks later, at a historic racing event, my dad found one of the two door magnets in a garbage can behind pit lane near the bathroom. I think there was a hood magnet involved at some point, and I think he found that one too.

J richard

I've run magnetic individual numbers and gumballs and if you don't keep them nice and flat, and sometimes if you put them on cold the air gets under them and they become frisbies... so I always tape them.

I found temporary paint from duplicolor, comes in a variety of colors, you can get it at ace hardware or checker. I made a pair of stencils out of 4mil vinyl,one for the numbers and the other for the gumball. They look like the real thing, and will even stay on during a light rain and a rinse, but you can wash it off with soap and sponge at the end of a track weekend...

And it works on alum, and carbon fiber....

cab&coupe

Jack... thanks for the great tip

sleder

I too have left numbers at some of the finest racetracks on the eastern seaboard. I have now taken the leap of faith to vinyl!!!

cviles

I'm leaning towards a gumball and racer's tape. I lost a couple of digits a few months back in the cold. During the summer, they were good for ~150 but in the cold I lost them on the warm up lap.