For most, if not all of us, family is the most important thing in our lives. Family can be biological or those friends we have the upmost level of trust in and compassion for. We are able to share our feelings, thoughts, interests and gain support from those closest to us. If you have kids, you find that the mind of a child is very impressionable. Even if you do not have kids yet, in order to build the solid foundation for family bonding, we expose children to the same things we enjoy in hopes to have something to pass down to our youngest family members someday.
Ben Abutin of the High End Performance fame is no stranger to cars and wild body modifications. After crafting several top winning cars in the Southern California sport compact scene, he turned his attention to his family. Wanting his kids to be included in the same shows the rest of the Auto Concept Elite team participates in, he took the Power Wheels Corvette he had bought his children and rolled it into High End for a complete transformation.
Ben, known for the crazy, one-off widebody kits he produces in-house, decided to give the Corvette his special touch as well. After having High End’s own artist, Arthur Fong, draw up sketches of various looks for the ‘Vette, Ben set to work. However, this time, Ben chose to go with carbon fiber instead of fiberglass. The raw carbon fiber suits the aggressive lines of the kit well and gives it a race inspired look. Almost every body panel on the car was hand-crafted by Ben in carbon, allowing the Corvette to have a curb weight of just 80 pounds!
To complete the kit, Ben hand-crafted a matching carbon fiber diffuser for the rear. The wild body modifications are not only nice to admire, but provide aerodynamic function as well. Inspiration for the body was taken from several JGTC cars, so Ben knew that was he was doing would make a noticeable difference. “If the JGTC cars have a lip and diffuser that look similar to what I have created, it should theoretically work great for track use and still look good at shows too,” Ben said.
It’s important to have wheels to fit the custom widebody, so Ben arranged with Danh at SSR to provide the massive staggered 8×3.5(f) and 8×5(r) inch custom centerlock wheels produced especially for this car. Behind the wheels lies a custom big brake kit provided by Endless. “I opted to go with a staggered setup to provide more traction in the rear since the twin battery setup puts out so much power. Along with that, the Endless brake kit helps keep that power under control as well.”
In order to accommodate such wide wheels, Ben crafted fenders that are a full 15mm wider than stock. Trei, Ben’s son, claims to feel the difference that all the modifications come together to produce. The suspension and overall handling are one of the most critical parts of a build and he feels his father definitely addressed the lacking stock components.
To complement the weight savings from the carbon fiber body, a titanium exhaust from Amuse was fitted. With the back-pressure relieved, Trei noticed a significant increase in the mid-to-high-end powerband and much better throttle response.
After focusing so heavily on the body, Ben decided the ‘Vette needed an increase in power, so he replaced the heavy, large stock battery with twin lightweight racing batteries. The decrease of additional weight combined with the introduction of a second battery allows the Corvette to reach 5 miles per hour in just 2 seconds!
Of course no car is complete without attention to the interior, so Ben reached out to Shino at Lot USA to acquire Bride’s famous fabric in a red gradation design.
The interior customization didn’t end there though. The once silver steering wheel was wrapped with a custom black duct tape. The gauges also feature a carbon fiber backing to complement the carbon body. In-car electronics were kept simple with just the essentials which include a Pioneer head unit, Sony Xplod speaker components, and a keyless push start ignition.
The Power Wheels is actually lowered slightly on an adjustable setup courtesy of KW. However, as shown by the damaged front lip, the lowered ride height took some getting used to since the former off-road capabilities of the Power Wheels were negated.
Like true race cars, no expense was saved and creating a well-balanced car was the top priority. After watching Ben completely transform the Corvette from scratch, there is no doubt that Trei and Ben’s other children truly appreciate what his father does. Having their own path into the show scene and the Auto Concept Elite family that Ben cares so much for, they will forever cherish the bonding experience the construction of this Power Wheels provided as well as the countless other things that family will do for them and be there for.
For copies of these pictures and more, click here!
Wow. This is so stupid. Can you tell I’m bored? LOL!
