Newbie here, I do not want to throw the cat amongst the pigeons (no pun intended) however who do you think is the best value for money Cougar restorer ? One that does not charge like a wounded buffalo !
The best value is the guy that does it right. KTL and John Benoit are both very good. But neither is inexpensive.
Reminds me of the old chestnut; Service, price, quality - Pick two.
There aren’t many Cougar dedicated restorers out there. Along with KTL and Cascade Classics you can add Greg Taylor (card attached).
- Phillip
Don’t forget Scott Taylor as well.
Taylor Restorations in Scottsdale, AZ
https://cccforum.discoursehosting.net/t/restoration-slot-open-starting-january-2019/9906/1
https://cccforum.discoursehosting.net/t/barrett-jackson-2019-event-at-taylor-restorations-dont-miss-it/9873/1
Any legitimate restorer knows that the only thing that is certain is that there will be a lot of unexpected problems. One broken bolt will add hours if not days to labor time. If you try to get a restorer to quote a fixed price, they will have to price in the uncertainty. For this reason the restorers that stay in business will not quote this way. The ones that do will end up cutting corners to make up for losses and you will end up paying for that in the long run.
What you need to look for is a restorer that will quote an hourly rate, and then document the hours they spend. Location will determine the hourly rate to a large degree. What you are looking for is a shop that is well equipped, they have to have talent and experience, the tools to get the job done, and access to the factory documentation needed to guide the process.
Before you start, find out what processes will be farmed out. The most common are machine work and paint and body, but also things like rebuilding the steering column, brake booster, or other parts. If your restorer is arranging these things they deserve some compensation for the time involved. Parts orders are another thing to be understood in advance. Parts orders are another major area to understand. Rock Auto has great prices but they also sell many parts that are “supposed” to fit that simply don’t fir or don’t work in particular applications. Brake boosters come to mind… In any event there should be an understanding of parts pricing. In many cases restorers add a small markup to cover the cost of dealing with suppliers.
Harry, what is your location?
Also, restoration is a pretty broad term; are you looking for an as built, 100% perfect restoration to stock, or just trying to get the car into a safe reliable driver that looks good enough to take to the local show and shine?
Yes location would be good. I know of a couple here in WI that do excellent work on any type of car. Not cheap though, and usually are booked at least a year out.
As Bill mentioned you need to determine what “restored” means to you so that you find a good fit and the shop and you are at least on the same page - as much as possible.
Best value - Just about always its buying a good solid car (at the start) that has been well restored and the owner is selling it to move on to another project.
Just my two cents and 50+ years in the sport 
I agree you only get to pick 2 of the 3 choices - so don’t get too shocked by price if it’s something you want done right.
A good restoration shop that specializes in rebuilding any of the older cars should work well for most cases. I’d suggest it’s a good idea to look for examples of recent jobs and at any work in progress to indicate they know what to. Cars have changed so much that someone specializing in collision repair of modern vehicles may not have what it takes to duplicate the older body work/paint jobs/interiors…
Good luck
1 more name I like to throw in the hat for restorers,
ken gucker in Connecticut is someone that I would consider having my car done by as well…
thanks
pat