1969 Buick Electra 225 review from North America

This car was a one family owned car with the original 430 cubic inch V8. It was 1969 high compression with old style alternator and points ignition. It required premium fuel and octane boost in every tank. That being said it needed more maintenance than most modern cars. I replaced the distributor, the radiator, the water pump, the voltage regulator, one of the rear wheel bearings, the wheel cylinders, all of them (4 wheel drum brakes), the master cylinder. I then needed to replace, or re-build the engine with 135,000 miles on it. It blew a freeze plug behind the engine mount and the rings were in full blow-by mode, as well as having a weak oil pump. Since the engine would need to be pulled to fix the freeze plug I went ahead and put a 455 in it. I also re-wired the engine compartment for an HEI distributor and internally regulated alternator.

We do not drive this car much anymore, on and off, but this thing is a cruiser. It is a smooth, quiet, and solid ride. The doors shut perfectly, the seats, though old, are like riding in your couch. You can stay in this car all day long. On the down side is the gas mileage. It only musters about 10mpg in the city and 13mpg on the highway. It is a boat so it does not like to turn, so don't expect it to, and the 4 wheel drum brakes should have been illegal. Don't even dream of panic stopping from anything above 65mph. Not a good thing with today's highway speeds.