#david conwill

A Safari-style 1962 Chevrolet Corvair would make the perfect Subaru substitute. Here’s how I’d build it. – David Conwill @Hemmings

The badge says Monza, but I’m thinking more Dakar It’s got distinctive looks, great traction, and a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. No, it’s not a Subaru Forester—it’s a Chevy Corvair. Old-time Vermonters I keep encountering swear by the little air-cooled Chevrolets as cars that would, Beetle-like, go anywhere in the winter and get home again. The rest of the world sees Corvairs as…

This 1997 Ford F-250 brings bespoke style to the overlanding scene – David Conwill @Hemmings

The originally diesel-powered F-250 was almost too nice to disassemble, but its clean state also aided in getting the project underway without a lot of repair work. The ease of getting it made the team think “yeah, we’re supposed to be doing this.” Design by committee doesn’t work, but that doesn’t mean that a large team can’t come together and build something spectacular. In the August…

The Automobile Really Hit its Peak in 1940. Here Are Five Reasons Why. – David Conwill @Hemmings

Even an expert Mustang restorer had the challenge of his career with Bill Goldberg’s “Lawman” Mustang – David Conwill @Hemmings

Dreams seem to have their own mass, derived from the devotion of the dreamer. Cherish one long enough and hard enough and its gravity will draw you in. Sometimes it’s a lot of work and a long time before that trajectory becomes apparent. Take the Lawman Mustang on these pages. You saw it last month and learned its story. How Ford used it as a morale booster for troops serving in Southeast Asia,…

1970-1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Buyer’s Guide – David Conwill @Hemmings

The right balance of luxury and performance, plus decent support today, make the first-generation Monte Carlo a good buy Because it was derived from the Chevelle, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo remains an easy car to own today. Mechanical parts, in particular, are readily attainable, and the cars themselves are affordable. Popular pricing guides suggest that a small-block powered ’71 in top condition…

Even the malaise-era Chevy Corvette is still fun to drive, and value-priced – David Conwill @Hemmings

What’s the cheapest Corvette? It’s definitely not 1953 or ’54. The low book value on those doesn’t fall much under $45,000. How about 1958, with its exuberant use of trim? It has an average retail value of nearly $51,000, so probably not. Perhaps a 1965 roadster with a carbureted small-block and an automatic? That’s still $51,500. Prices for the early third-generation cars (“C3” to most…

How I’m weighing period perfection against period plausibility in the fuel system of my 1921 Ford Model T – David Conwill @Hemmings

If this is the first time you’re hearing about my 1921 Ford Model T gow-job project (“gow job” being 1930s slang for what we’d now call a hot rod), I encourage you to go back and read the first and second installments for the background, where I’ve explained my motivation to update my century-old touring car to circa 1934 technology. Me in a T, back in 2012. The seating position in my car is…

How I plan to make my 1921 Ford Model T more capable, starting with chassis and brake upgrades – David Conwill @Hemmings

It’s weird to think I own a car that is 99 years old. Of course, if we do things correctly, it will be like owning a car that’s only 86. That’s right: I’m updating my 1921 Ford Model T touring car with the best of 1934 technology, or at least “the best” insofar as updating a Model T is concerned. One of the wheels just before I shipped it out to Clayton. It’s 19 inches, as used on a 1930 or ’31…