How to Make your Own Mag Bras for Track Use. Protect that paint!

Robert inAgoura · 04-22-2002, 09:12 AM

posted 04-22-2002 12:50
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First of all you want to order all your magnetics in 24" width. Thats as wide as the sheets come. Hood Protection: Measure the length of your hood and add 3ft for the inside of the fenders to the total.
Too protect the side of your car. Simply, measure the length of your car and double that.
Now go to the MSI magnetic sheeting website http://www.beacongraphics.com/magnetic-sheeting.html . They have many colors online but if you dont see what you want. They can make almost any color you need.
You want to ONLY use "30 mil" sheeting as this gives the most protection and will not blow off while driving.
Ask MSI about any sales because they tend to have sales that arent listed on line
MSI Magnetic sheeting
To apply is simple
1) wax your car and take a damp cloth and wide the mag side of the sheeting to clean anny particles away
2) roll on the two parts of Magsheeting.
3) 2 widths 24" sheeting covers the hood perfectly. Make sure that you center the both sheets over the center of the hood. USe the porsche emblem as a centering guide. Due to the curvature of the hood you will have a tiny bit of overlap in the sheeting along the centerline. Mark these places with the grease pen. You will shave these overlaps off with your magnetic roller cutter
4) open the hood with the sheeting still on. Its supposed to hang
5) take the grease pen and outline the form of the hood from underneith.
6) Remove the sheeting from the hood. and use the magnetic roller cutter (MSI sells this. Ask for it) to cut the magnetic sheet according to the lines that you made.
7) cut any overlaps that you see.
now replace the sheeting on the hood.
9) Now get yourself 2" vinyl tape.
10) apply this down the center line to join the two hood pieces. Do this on both sides
11) If you dont plan on using a bra with the mag sheets for a leading edge on your hood you can go to your home Depot and get a clear plastic binder that is used for cheap picture frames. You apply this to the leading edge of your hood
There you go! thats it!
two protect the side of the car. You basically do the same thing.Apply the length of the sheeting along the side of the car. Then take the grease pen and outline all door ,side vent and wheel well openings. Now use the mag roller cutter and cut along you lines.
You will need use tape to seal the mag edges to the side intake vents and wheelwell edges
SO there you have it. Your car is now protected.
Now you wantto to add some killer graphics and numbers. Go to Harris Graphics. Its a family run biz. They are great to work with!
Harris Decals
http://www.harrisdecals.com/racecarlettering.asp

pwd72s · 04-22-2002, 09:22 AM

Mag bras...people seem to either love 'em or hate 'em. I ran a magnetic sign, same material as the mag bra, on my hood once...won't do it again. Took forever to buff/polish out the marks in the paint. Anybody else have the same experience?

Robert inAgoura · 04-22-2002, 09:54 AM

what I do before I put mine on is wax my car twice with a hard carnuba wax and use a damp cloth to clean the surface ofthe mag that will touch the paint. Then I only use it for the track and in dry weather.

78silversc · 04-22-2002, 04:53 PM

Just one correction on your post: you refer to the website you purchased from as MSI. The website you link to is actually Beacon Graphics. No not a big deal and I hope you don't mind the correction

but the company is owned by a friend of mine...Tim Rosetti, and excellent person and terrific business man. It's a small world.
I know you mentioned it in your post, but I think it is worth re-iterating, clean the area you'll adhere the mags to very very well...as small pieces of dirt, sand etc will tend to scratch the paint if you don't.

pwd72s · 05:06 PM

Gee, I must have had a dirty car when I put the sign on...but I won't do it again, put magnetic graphics on my car. Pic of well waxed but dirty car to follow...perhaps I'm just too fussy about my 30 year old paint???

Robert inAgoura · 04-22-2002, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 78silversc
Just one correction on your post: you refer to the website you purchased from as MSI. The website you link to is actually Beacon Graphics. No not a big deal and I hope you don't mind the correction but the company is owned by a friend of mine...Tim Rosetti, and excellent person and terrific business man. It's a small world.
I know you mentioned it in your post, but I think it is worth re-iterating, clean the area you'll adhere the mags to very very well...as small pieces of dirt, sand etc will tend to scratch the paint if you don't.

What a great website! Has everything you ever wanted to know about how to get into the graphics biz! I noticed that he has alot of side graphic businesses/divisions (for lack of a better name) attached to that master URL. MSI must be a division. Im sure your friend is going to like me because. He is going to be selling alot of mag sheeting in the coming days. He really does have a good price and selection. Although, They need to show all of the colors that they have. THey have around 30 colors for the magnetics.

Robert inAgoura · 04-22-2002, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwd72s
Gee, I must have had a dirty car when I put the sign on...but I won't do it again, put magnetic graphics on my car. Pic of well waxed but dirty car to follow...perhaps I'm just too fussy about my 30 year old paint???

damn nice 72! i WOULDNT PUT ANYTHING ON THAT! It doesnt look like you track your car. Thats what I feel the magnetics are primarely for. I havea 69 911S that even magnetics couldnt save right now. (Its used in vintage racing) the Paint is that bad.

78silversc · 04-22-2002, 06:40 PM

Yeah, his website is definitely diverse and complete! He started building that website as soon as there was such a thing as the web!
MSI is actually not a division of his company, they are the manufacturer of the magnetic sheet product, of which he is a distributer. (Boy, I am just a wealth of information!)

Good luck and keep in mind that he also does the vinyl decals and such too! (No I'm not getting a commssion)

pwd72s · 04-22-2002, 06:41 PM

Thanks Robert...for seeing my point. That is, we all have different paint (and other) standards... Mag bra, might be great for track cars. But for those of us who want to maintain paint that looks like you can dive into it? Maybe not the best move...agreed?

makaio · 04-22-2002, 06:44 PM

I've got to agree with Paul. If the paint on my car, was as nice as his, I couldn't put a bra or magnetic sheet on it, in fear of damaging it.

But since my paint is so bad, I put a bra on the nose to make it look better.

89911 · 04-23-2002, 07:28 PM

I still have fine swirl scratches on my hood from using a Magbra for 2 days 2 years ago. And, yes, I did clean the undersurface of the bra and wax my hood. These things scratch your car. If anyone tells you otherwise, they just aren't looking close enough.

kepperly · kepperly's Garage

just , bought some five inch porsche crests and mounted them on the thin stuff for display at car show looks neat and removable
when i don,t feel quite so flashie.
keith