One More Chance - Cover Story

The last time I saw Benjamin Abutin was at a Jollibee Pilipino restaurant in Carson, CA, scarfing down a plate of beef tapa with white rice and chicken nut bread. We talked about Manny Pacquiao over a couple of San Mig Lites before he rode away in a multi-colored jeepney with red roosters painted on the side doors. And before I move on and continue to lie to you with these obvious fabrications (one, Jollibee doesn't serve chicken nut bread and two, they don't have jeepneys in the U.S.), I'd like to apologize for starting this article with a flurry of Pilipino references that only a trip to Wikipedia.org can help you understand.

Actually, I last saw Ben almost three years ago in the December 2004 issue of the magazine currently resting between your hands. His '03 Nissan 350Z was featured on the cover for its custom body kit that resembled the 350Zs found racing on the tracks in the Japanese grand touring series formerly known as the JGTC. It was a blue-colored machine with a Power Enterprise twin turbo kit and 19-inch HRE 840R wheels. That seemed like such a long time ago. For one, I was still working as an associate editor at Super Street before I was pushed out for my political views (sexual harassment should be legalized!).

Since then, Ben went from new to old by purchasing a '93 Mazda RX7 and placing the 350Z in the second slot of his short list of cars he loves. He also gained an enormous amount of experience in building cars. When he began fixing up the 350Z, he was practically a noob in the game, completely unfamiliar to the car scene. Nowadays, he's a highly regarded expert among his friends and especially with his teammates at Team Auto Concept. Based in Ventura, CA, Team Auto Concept features a complete lineup of the most major cars in the scene: a Top Secret-inspired Toyota Supra, JGTC carbon copy Honda NSX and Nissan 350Z, a Mitsubishi Evolution, a Subaru WRX STi, a DTM Audi A3, a Honda S2000 and a Bosozoku-vanning styled Scion xB. The only ride they're missing is the FD3S, and that's where Ben enters the picture.

"The team needed a Mazda to complete the lineup, so I sacrificed buying an S15 to help them," explains Ben, "If you want to know if it's worth the sacrifice, the answer is 'Yes!' I love my RX7!" Though some may argue that an S15 is better than an FD, not many can dispute the fact that Ben's FD can, in the words of Biggie Smalls, "make girls pee pee in they teepees." Dropping approximately $35K on parts, custom work, and hard labor, the FD3S is a rotary wonder with a Turbonetics 60-1 turbocharger layin' down laws inside the engine bay. With a high-flow compressor and a T4 turbine section, the 60-1 is perfect for any type of motorsport, from drag racing to drifting. Attached to the turbo is a Turbonetics intercooler with custom piping. Ben decided to mount it with the ARC radiator in a V-style to get optimum airflow to both pieces. The V-mount ensures that not only does the turbo get the best possible amount of cool air, but that piston-less engine also doesn't overheat when it's delivering high RPMs on the road and tracks.