Out: M.P.G. In: Kilowatt-Hours. Classic Cars Get an Electric Jolt.

Pete Williamsen, the company’s digital marketing director, said that for this D.I.Y. job, the old pejorative “grease monkey” no longer applied.

“Once you drain the original fluids, you won’t even get your hands dirty,” Mr. Williamsen said.

Those hands, however, had better be able to sign a check: With system prices starting at $32,500 and topping $80,000 for stronger, longer-range units — including custom builds that may exceed 1,000 horsepower — this isn’t a project for the backyard mechanic on a Pep Boys budget. Nor is it for the owner of a seven-figure, auction-worthy classic — say, a $48.4 million Ferrari — whose historical authenticity and mechanical perfection are central to its value.

Instead, Mr. Hutchison said, it’s for the well-heeled owner who loves a special car and wants to keep it alive, but doesn’t want the headache and T.L.C. associated with aging, finicky machines.

“It’s the guy who says: ‘I already own three Teslas. Now, how do I get my classic Jaguar electrified?’” he said.

With some replacement parts for those classics becoming hard to come by or prohibitively expensive, the system also frees owners from having to track down, say, a period-correct carburetor to keep their baby running.

The potential upsides attracted Seth Burgett, an engineer, an inventor and the chief executive of Gateway Bronco. His company in Illinois performs fantasy-level restorations of the Ford Bronco, the utilitarian, sought-after truck — first sold in 1966 — that’s among the forerunners of the modern sport utility vehicle.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/business/electric-car-conversions.html?emc=rss&partner=rss