Tamiya RX7 problem

[Donny]

Hey guys I have run into a problem with this build. I have just started the RX7 whilst paint dries on the Chrysler. The RX7 has, for me, a serios problem on the roof that I can't work out how to fix. Thought Tamiya was better than this. Check out the pic of the roof, the huge ripples/waves. I don't have enough experience to know how to fix this or if it is fixable, so if you smart guys with all the clues, can help me out here, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Don

[STU111]

G’day Don. For starters, yes, that’s very unusual for a Tamiya kit. Depending on how you acquired the kit, a replacement body from Tamiya or the distributor may be an option. Failing that, you could fill the dips in the roof with Tamiya putty, l recently had to do this with a Revell Camaro with a similar problem. It’s time consuming as you need to sand back, apply primer to check the repair then repeat the process until you’re satisfied with the results. Trying for a replacement body may be easier. Hope this helps Don.  Cheers, Stuart. 👍🏻

[STU111]

G’day again Don, before you do anything with the kit, check images of the actual car as the wavy roof may be supposed to be there. Got this image online of an RX-7 roof, looks like it has the wave in it.Perhaps forum members more familiar with the RX-7 could weigh in. 

[Cool Hand]

As Stu has pointed out, that is the shape of the roof.

Edited Saturday at 06:52 AM by Cool Hand

[WillyBilly]

Not a warp. That is how the roof flows on the real car.

[NOBLNG]

Good catch guys!👍 Reminds me of the time I sanded the fender welting off my Jag e-type thinking they were mould seams.😳 I probably spend as much time googling images now as I do actually building.

Edited Saturday at 01:13 PM by NOBLNG

[Donny]

16 hours ago, STU111 said:

G’day Don. For starters, yes, that’s very unusual for a Tamiya kit. Depending on how you acquired the kit, a replacement body from Tamiya or the distributor may be an option. Failing that, you could fill the dips in the roof with Tamiya putty, l recently had to do this with a Revell Camaro with a similar problem. It’s time consuming as you need to sand back, apply primer to check the repair then repeat the process until you’re satisfied with the results. Trying for a replacement body may be easier. Hope this helps Don.  Cheers, Stuart. 👍🏻

Thanks Stu, I'll check out the 'net as you suggest, would be great if I didn't have to do a heap to fix it. Worst part is the time not so much the fixing. 

[Donny]

Thanks for the replies guys, sorry for the slow responses, our internet went down yesterday afternoon about three, and when I checked didn't come back up until about 3 AM when I checked again. Bit pissed at that, missed the footy semi final. Good thing is, I can get the replay on Kayo, sometime today, if I don't have to fix that roof. 

Don

[Donny]

14 hours ago, Cool Hand said:

As Stu has pointed out, that is the shape of the roof.

Thats pretty unusual for a manufacturer to put out a car with that "defect", but then again having spent my life in the motor industry, the last part as Customer Service(complaints) manager in a franchise dealership, I saw a lot, and thought I'd pretty much seen it all, obviously not, and nothing to do with Mazda, only Holden, Nissan, Subaru, & Hyundai, to name a few.

Don 

[Donny]

11 hours ago, WillyBilly said:

Not a warp. That is how the roof flows on the real car.

Good to know mate, thanks, I'll go look at some real ones.

Don

[Jonathan]

As others have said, it is not a defect.  It is how the actual car is designed.  

Edited Saturday at 10:38 PM by Jonathan

[Donny]

Well after checking about 150/180 pics of the '93 Mazda RX7 R1 models FC, FD on, I haven't been able to categorically say I've found any with serious roof defect that you guys are talking about. I have posted one yellow one that "maybe" have a dent in the roof, parked in the trees without any reflection I can as I said "maybe" see something, so I might just have to take the opinion of the majority and proceed with the build as is. Basically it's another "trainer" for me, so if it's not perfect, then so be it, like it to be as best as I can get it, but I have bigger and better things coming, so unless I get more advice to the contrary, it's onward we go. It will be later today before I get to it, so feel free to add anything you feel relative, and thanks to all for your contributions.

DonI thought I saw a "slight" dent in the centre in this pic, and in the trees there is no reflections I don't think

Same here, but could be a slight reflection, hard to tell. But as yet I fail to see anything like on my model. I read the history of the development which is quite interesting, but nothing mentions anything about the roof. I jut can't imagine why a manufacturer would develop a car with that, failing something relating to performance. Anyway, as I said previously,......moving on.

Don            

[Donny]

14 hours ago, WillyBilly said:

Not a warp. That is how the roof flows on the real car.

Not sure if you saw my   reply post, but after checking a heap of  "93 RX7, I could not find one that had a roof like that, not even close. If you can find one please post a pic so I have something to work from. Thanks

Don

[oldcarfan]

Take this for what it's worth, but I asked a friend who had one back in the day and he said his had the bumps. He called them helmet bumps so if you were racing it had extra clearance. Apparently if you ordered it with the sunroof it had a flat roof. 

I have the Tamiya kit and it shows the bumps but my Aoshima kit has a flat roof. 

[turbolag]

The roof is supposed to be like that...

[Donny]

35 minutes ago, oldcarfan said:

Take this for what it's worth, but I asked a friend who had one back in the day and he said his had the bumps. He called them helmet bumps so if you were racing it had extra clearance. Apparently if you ordered it with the sunroof it had a flat roof. 

I have the Tamiya kit and it shows the bumps but my Aoshima kit has a flat roof. 

Thanks Gary. Looks like I build with the bumps, the way kit came. As you have proof here that it could be either, and your Tamyia kit is the same as mine, so obviously that's how it's supposed to be. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Roncla]

On 9/13/2025 at 4:55 PM, Donny said:

Hey guys I have run into a problem with this build. I have just started the RX7 whilst paint dries on the Chrysler. The RX7 has, for me, a serios problem on the roof that I can't work out how to fix. Thought Tamiya was better than this. Check out the pic of the roof, the huge ripples/waves. I don't have enough experience to know how to fix this or if it is fixable, so if you smart guys with all the clues, can help me out here, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Don

I have the same Tamiya RX7 kit here and its a duplicate of your one. Looks to me to be deliberate move by Tamiya to mould it that way.

[Donny]

I have another issue. I have a small bag that came with the wheels/tyres, 4 small black what I assume to be retainers for the wheels, but I can't work out how they are supposed to keep the wheels on. Do I glue them to the axles and then to the wheels. I don't want to glue things that don't need to be glued, but that's the only way I can see how to keep the wheels on. Help please.

Don       

[Chris V]

14 minutes ago, Donny said:

I have another issue. I have a small bag that came with the wheels/tyres, 4 small black what I assume to be retainers for the wheels, but I can't work out how they are supposed to keep the wheels on. Do I glue them to the axles and then to the wheels. I don't want to glue things that don't need to be glued, but that's the only way I can see how to keep the wheels on. Help please.

Don       

Many Japanese kits have this type of wheel retainers. They're made from a slightly flexible compound and designed to fit into a slot or cavity in the brake/suspension assembly. Each wheel has a stub on the back side, that you simply push into the retainer ring (no glue).

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Chris V

[stitchdup]

On 9/14/2025 at 2:16 AM, Donny said:

Not sure if you saw my   reply post, but after checking a heap of  "93 RX7, I could not find one that had a roof like that, not even close. If you can find one please post a pic so I have something to work from. Thanks

Don

these are bodykitted but you can see the double bubble

[stitchdup]

21 minutes ago, Donny said:

I have another issue. I have a small bag that came with the wheels/tyres, 4 small black what I assume to be retainers for the wheels, but I can't work out how they are supposed to keep the wheels on. Do I glue them to the axles and then to the wheels. I don't want to glue things that don't need to be glued, but that's the only way I can see how to keep the wheels on. Help please.

Don       

the retainers go inside the brakes before they get glued to he suspension.

[Donny]

9 minutes ago, Chris V said:

Many Japanese kits have wheel retainers made from a slightly flexible compound. The wheel is molded with a stub on the back side, that you push into the retainer, trapping the brake/suspension assembly in between.

Thanks Chris, but the wheels seat against the disk, the wheel and the disk are flat

[Chris V]

5 minutes ago, Donny said:

Thanks Chris, but the wheels seat against the disk, the wheel and the disk are flat

I just checked the instruction sheet, and they fit inside a hole in the disk brake hub and spindle. You simply "trap" them in the cavity between the two parts and push the wheel stub into the brake assembly from the outside, once the glue has set: https://cdn.simba-dickie-group.de/downloads/300024110/300024110_Mazda_RX-7.pdf

Edited 20 hours ago by Chris V

[Donny]

5 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

the retainers go inside the brakes before they get glued to he suspension.

Thanks Les, I'll check it out.

[Donny]

4 minutes ago, Chris V said:

I just checked the instruction sheet, and they fit inside a hole in the disk brake hub and spindle. You simply "trap" them in the cavity between the two parts and push the wheel stub into the brake from the outside: https://cdn.simba-dickie-group.de/downloads/300024110/300024110_Mazda_RX-7.pdf

Thanks Chris, I was looking for those earlier. They were packed in a small envelope, in with the tyres, which was why I couldn't find them. Why they put them in there? Thats why I missed them. Thanks

Don