Actor James Marsden always loved talking cars with his former brother-in-law, Will—including the one that got away: an old Buick, passed down for generations, that Will loved but just couldn’t afford to repair. After prowling the junkyards, James has finally found a rusty 1963 Buick Electra 225, and he wants to do the impossible: electrify the Electra to give Will a one-of-a-kind cruiser.
Before & After
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF
Placing this Buick Electra’s frame on an electric “skateboard” means our classic, bulky beauty needs to lose a lot of weight somewhere. We went straight for the hood, where we replaced the original with a carbon-fiber look-alike that reduced the car’s weight by 100 pounds. It also had the added benefit of shimmering in the sunlight, so it not only helps the Electra’s giddy-up, but it looks amazing, too.
JUNK IN THE TRUNK
Our electric base added a bit of bulk to the Electra’s undercarriage—OK, a lot of bulk, since that’s the whole chassis. We cut out everything we could from the trunk of the old Electra frame to reduce weight, but we also had to make sure it still looked cool. Lucky for James, we made sure the electric skateboard fit like a glove, giving the Electra a lowrider feel, with a lot of secret power underneath.
A PEACEFUL DRIVE
The iconic rear fender screams “Buick,” but James wanted the car to say something else, too: “Peaceful,” the name of a song Will’s father had written that played at each of his children’s weddings. With a quiet new electric engine, “Peaceful” is just the right nameplate for this one-of-a-kind joyride (unless Will’s flooring it).
More Inspiration
