1964 Buick Electra Hits the Drag Strip, Bravely Takes On Turbocharged Ford Mustang

While it's nowhere near as fancy as a Cadillac from the era, the Electra will get you places in style. And pretty fast as well thanks to the big-block V8 engines that Buick offered in the 1960s. And even though the Electra is no muscle car, this owner likes to take his four-door land yacht drag racing.

Is it still a factory-stock 1964 Electra? Well, not quite. While it does look pretty standard on the outside, aside from the pinstriping on the rear fenders and the aftermarket wheels, it no longer features the 401-cubic-inc (6.6-liter) Nailhead V8 that Buick offered in the second-generation Electra.

The hood now hides a larger 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) mill, most likely sourced from a later-generation Buick and a few modern upgrades. But it's far from wild. And surely not as menacing as the 2001 Ford Mustang it raced during Hot Rod Drag Week.

The latter is a full-blown dragster, meaty rear tires, rear wing, and parachute included. What's more, it packs a turbocharged LS V8. Yup, this Mustang relies on Chevrolet power. Because LS mills are powerful and reliable and some enthusiasts don't care about Detroit rivalries.

Yup, the duel is disproportionate, to say the least. While the Mustang launches like a rocket and covers the distance in 8.06 seconds at 142 mph (229 kph), the Electra needs 13.98 seconds to cross the finish line. With a much lower trap speed of 97 mph (156 kph). But even though he got smoked, I bet this Electra driver doesn't care. And I wouldn't either, because that Buick sounds bonkers.

And it's notably quicker than the standard 1964 Electra four-door, which needed more than 16 seconds to make a quarter-mile pass with the range-topping V8 under the hood. Check it out in the video below.