Getting your teeth pulled is never a good experience. That is, unless your dentist also wears the gloves of a fanatical tuner when he's not donning a surgical mask. While it won't lesson the pain of cavity removal, at least you can catch up on the latest tuning gossip right in between the pangs, right? Are there really people out there who can extract an impacted wisdom tooth and operate an Apex-I AVC-R boost controller with the same deftness?

Thirty-five year old Les Wong, a dentist from Sacramento, CA, is proof of the existence. It's a rare combination indeed when you consider that most dentists mark up their parking spots with the tire treads of festooned luxury yachts - Les pulls up in a 1993 Mazda RX-7 that would put all the cars in that last major motion picture about import racing to shame. Yes, Les pulls teeth by day and then pulls the gears of his beloved 350 hp rotary gem when its time to go home (rumor has it that he does both with equal care).

For Les, tuning cars has been an obsession since he received a Toyota Celica as a high school graduation gift. It wasn't until 1995 though - after lengthy stints in college and dental school programs - that he was able to fulfill his matured tuner aspirations - to own and tune a Mazda RX-7. Les fell for the "classic curves" of the RX-7 from first sight and set to work almost immediately to accentuate them even more. After swapping out the factory wheels for an aftermarket set, he was hooked on the tuning scene faster than lips on braces (ouch!).

Motorsport Dynamics, a local shop that worked on Les' car early on, helped in the addiction process. After displaying the car at a few events at the request of the shop, Les found that he now had his own sweet tooth for the car show scene and even joined a show team called Speed Addicts. Today, after investing tens of thousand of dollars, hundred of hours of cleaning and crafting, and an innumerable amount of sweat, tears, and pain - Les' RX-7 is a highly regarded sponsored show car that has gained its share of ink. This includes being featured in the New York Times, an upcoming issue of Import Tuner Magazine, and even a national ad campaign for Internet auctioneer eBay.

Even major performance companies like Endless USA, Signal Auto, Tanabe and Meguiar's have climbed aboard with sponsorship offers to claim their share of the limelight as the RX-7 turns heads from streetlight to streetlight and car show to car show. According to Les, the show stopping success of the car is a result of a lot of careful research, design, and planning - before any screw was turned or any part purchased. In fact, he recommends this process to anybody just beginning his or her own projects.

"Keep to a theme and have the best people work on your car," adds Les. "Just do what you like. Don't add parts just because they're popular."

One look at his RX-7 and you know it's an edict that Les certainly followed. The theme is overwhelmingly and unapologetically JDM. As the RX-7 pounds the pavement of Sacramento, Signal Auto canards splits the defenseless atmosphere upfront with upward traveling airflow greeted by a Run Racing hood and Run Racing fixed position low profile headlamps. Before air molecules know what even hit them, they are tumbling off the flanks of the graphics-splashed wide body RX-7's Petit Racing rear flares and jumping off the leading edge of the Veilside GT3 wing. Rare RE Amemiya side and rear skirts and a RE Amemiya carbon fiber rear diffuser are also guilty of having their way with the invisible air - all the while creating an eye-opening profile.

Filling the arches on either end of the car and ensuring all the power gets down to the ground are Work Termis S1 C wheels (18x8 F, 18x11.5 R) wrapped by aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport rubber (235/40/18 F, 335/35/18 R). Meanwhile, large Endless 4 pot front calipers, Endless front and rear rotors and pads, and Spirit R rear calipers rein in the speed when the time comes. The brakes have a great responsibility, as the 2-rotor rotary power plant has been carefully and artfully tuned to a whopping 348-rear wheel hp. Credit an Apex-I RX6 Turbo kit with custom intake piping and a Signal Auto custom Circuit Racing V-mount intercooler for most of the upgraded oomph. A SR Motorsports stainless down pipe and mid-pipe and dual Apex-I N1exhausts are called to duty to better handle increased airflow into and out of the combustion chambers.

An Apex-I AVC-R boost controller and an Apexi wastegate deal with excess boost quickly while the combination of a HKS F-Con Pro tuned by Signal Auto, a Sard fuel pressure regulator, Skyline GTR fuel pump, and RC 1300 fuel injectors monitors and controls the delivery of greatly increased fuel requirements. Unorthodox Racing and Pettit Racing pulley setups also serve to increase available horsepower while a Koyo aluminum radiator and Upgraded RX-7 oil coolers make sure vital fluids are kept cool. An Exedy Hyper Twin clutch was installed to ensure that most of the power is translated from flywheel to the wheels.

Inside the cockpit, the performance cues continue. A RE Amemiya Steering wheel is front and center while Zeal Racing seats and Tanaka 4 point harnesses team up to hold Les down in the corners. Inputs of stop and go are via Razo Racing pedals and a titanium shift knob. Blitz and Auto Meter gauges keep Les informed of the happenings under hood while a plethora of I.C.E. (In Car Entertainment) distracts Les when he wants to be distracted. Kenwood and Sony components team up with Sony ES amps; Sony ES and Xplod speakers (in front); and Kicker Audio speakers in a custom fiberglass and vinyl trunk installation (in rear) for over 1000 amps of pure aural pleasure. Finally, A Sony PS2 matched with a Pioneer 6.5" monitor keeps judges happy at the car shows.

With only 38k miles on an original engine, Les admits to "babying" the RX-7. Though he intends to continue to be active in the car show and tuning scene, Les has no plans for his tuning project at the moment further than to "just enjoy my car". And from what we can see - that's definitely not like pulling teeth.