If you've made the decision to partially or completely restore your Cougar, you might be a little overwhelmed by the whole concept. Where do you start? How do I get parts? Is this something anyone can do? You have lots of questions, we're sure...and we're here to help guide you along the path which suits you and your budget the best.

So where do I start?
The first thing you'll need to do is make a list of everything that you want to fix or replace. Now obviously, any mechanical components (ball joints, brakes, shocks, etc.) are still available at virutally all parts stores. Those are considered normal-wear replacement components. But certainly you may have other things that need attention: broken seat belt cover, broken radio panel, cracked dashboard, faded interior panels, ripped driver's seat...anything sounding familiar? By now most owners have run across these and many other problems. And solutions to those problems are what we hope to provide for you. But again, you have to make a list of these parts before going shopping.

OK, I have a list of stuff now. What's next?
You must figure out a budget before you start your parts shopping spree. Even if it's just a loose budget, definitely plan on a certain amount of money that's reasonable for you. We'll let you in on a little secret: parts for these cars tend to be on the lower end of the pricing scale. They're not "dirt cheap" but they're nowhere near what you'd pay if you had a Mustang or Corvette. Between 1983 and 1988, there were over 1.4 million Cougars and Thunderbirds produced...that should be an incentive for you that you will probably find what you need, and most likely sooner rather than later. This never guarantees that you'll get exactly the right part every time, of course. But you're probably going to win more than you lose when it comes to price and quality. In any case you'll need to figure your budget before going any further.

Now parts are one thing. When you need things like body work, glass, and paint...that is almost a whole different ballgame. We will have a section dedicated solely to those areas. For now we're talking about mainly interior items, minor exterior emblems and lights, trunk items, wiring, and so on.

Also, keep in mind the purpose of the finished car. When you're done with the restoration, what are you going to do with it? Just drive it occasionally? Take it to cruise-ins? Take it to competition (judged) car shows? Or just sell it? What you do with the car when it's done will greatly impact your budget so be sure to adjust your money situation accordingly.

K, got my list, got my budget. Now where do I get parts?
It's a sad fact but we must tell you that there are virtually no producers of brand new parts for these cars. Ford has been notoriously absent in the perpetuation of new parts as well. Mechanical parts (engine, sensors, suspension, brakes, etc.) will always be available...we're talking about body panels, exterior marker lights, interior parts, and so on. What this means is, you pretty much have exactly two choices for restoring: replacement used parts, or NOS parts.

Replacement used parts are generally a good buy. The premise is that you will be replacing your worn or broken part for one that works or is in much better condition, maybe not show-quality perfect but not as bad as your original. With the Internet community, these parts can be bought and shipped to your door...and that is probably the most efficient way to get what you need. Scouring through salvage yards or swap meets, while fun, can be frustrating sometimes, and with yards across the nation crushing these cars in historic numbers, parts are getting a little more limited. But if you persevere the payoff can be tremendous. Here you DO have options: eBay, message boards, salvage yards, swap meets, newspaper ads. These are the more traditional ways of getting parts and they work just fine. For those people that are just fixing up a daily driver or are not really going to compete in judged car shows, these are probably the most efficient solutions.

On the opposite scale are NOS (new old stock) parts. These are typically older dealer-stocked items that are brand new, never installed on a vehicle, sitting in a box and waiting for the right buyer. On paper it sounds like a veritable cornucopia of parts. In reality, hunting down NOS parts for your Cougar is not so easy. The good news is that, as of late, NOS parts for our cars seem to be a little more available. This may be because people have bought trailer loads of NOS Ford parts and are slowly finding out what they are, then selling them off twenty-odd-years hence. We here at COOL CATS have been very lucky at finding most of the NOS parts we needed. Hopefully you will too, but we just want to forewarn you that you'll have to be very patient, very lucky, and have a very deep wallet. A new, never-used part is the payoff...getting to that point will be a long and expensive journey. If you're going to compete in judged car shows or otherwise absolutely need your car to be perfect, NOS parts are probably what you want.

Of course, just because you buy a NOS part, that doesn't guarantee that the part is perfect. We've bought some NOS parts that, frankly, look worse than some we've pulled from wrecked cars. Some sellers attribute this to what they term "shelf wear". Now to us, if it's sitting on a shelf, it's not wearing out...right? What they're saying is that the box or container with the part inside has been moved around a bit, so what's inside might be a little scratched up or dented. Now that's a major disappointment...but it happens. We're just tellin' ya.

Hmmm. Sounds like I have my work cut out for me. So is this restoration thing something I can do myself, without having to pay anyone?
In general...if you're even slightly handy with basic tools and you have a little patience, then YES. Most things you should be able to handle yourself. There are relatively few parts on these cars that absolutely require professional, and most of those are either mechanical or related to major body panels. We believe that the love you have for your car will always be enough incentive for you to have the confidence to work on the car.

So now that you have an idea of what it takes to restore your Cougar, hopefully you're not too intimidated. Remember, we're here to help you as best we can. Be sure to check the Restoring section often for new additions. Best of luck with your restoration!

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