Is the body magnetic?

Tdave · 05-16-2009, 01:32 PM

I must admit I don't even know if carbon fiber is magnetic. I plan to drive my Roadster at Autocross events. I'll need to put temporary numbers on the side of the car, which are typically made of magnetic sheets. Will they hold on the body panels of the Roadster?

doug · 05-16-2009, 01:52 PM

umm... no.

Aluminum is non-magnetic as well. Do they have vinyl stickers? Maybe you can use painter's tape.

Tdave · 05-16-2009, 02:02 PM

Vinyl, even the thick stuff meant to be temporary, has a stickiness to it that I'd rather not apply to the paint. I may try static cling numbers, although they sometimes come off, even at autocross speeds, which for the Roadster will tend to be higher than other cars.

doug · 05-16-2009, 02:13 PM

Static cling may actually work better on the carbon fiber. Try that first.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to put anything sticky on the paint either. Just that the magnets won't work.
I've seen the guys in the shop use blue painter's tape on some painted surfaces on the car, so perhaps it's ok.

There's another special kind of white plastic tape (sorry don't know the name) that we use on the Stanford basketball court when setting up for taekwondo tournaments (actually we got it from the volleyball folks) and it doesn't leave any residue as far as I can tell. When the Roadster's are delivered, there's some kind of white tape on them to protect the body work. (Of course the car is detailed after the tape is removed.) You might contact Tesla and find out what they're using.

.

ChargeIt! · 05-16-2009, 05:49 PM

Or if you are getting the 3M armor package you could ask them to apply an extra patch where needed for the numbers. Then use the vinyl version in that area. ( I think some owners have had that done in areas where the white California EV sticker is to be applied. )