I need help finding someone near me that is familiar with Cougars. I’m having a problem for some reason of mechanics blowing off this job and I can only guess they don’t know the car. I need ‘69 front end grille/headlights bumper/valance installed. including a vacuum to electric kit. I have all the parts brackets and hardware can anyone point me to a Cougar friendly shop please!
1 Like
You should get in contact with the Cougar Club Of New England. You should be able find a link to them on the CCOA website. Off the top of my head I can think of Mark in MA, Ken in CT and Shawn in CT. There are probably many more.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Where in Mass are you located?
im in hyde park 02136 but im willing to tow as well 100m radius
thank you Randy !
Nothing shops hate more than basket cases. You need a Cougar guy to help speed up the learning curve.
oh ok basket case is strong language for a new grill and bumper. theres nothing wrong with the car I rebuilt rechromed and updated my grill and headlights bumper brackets and hardware through WCCC. not cheap to me. I just need someone to install it. but thanks for your insight.
Basket case meaning that you bring a basket of parts to the shop for them to install. Hard to find a shop that will work with you on that, but I did find one that let me do that on my engine refresh.
I do automotive electrical consulting with several restoration shops (they call me when they can’t solve an electrical mystery) and I am just telling you what I hear from them. Your car is not a basket case but when you bring a bunch of parts to them and they have to figure out what goes where and in what order and then figure out what is missing, unless they know that model car pretty well, then they are not inclined to take the project. This is not a bad thing. You are not paying them to learn a new car. A Cougar specialist can knock that out. If you were in Arizona Taylor Restorations could do that blindfolded.
exactly this is the problem…being a Cougar guy I can look at this see all the harness plugs are there all the brackets and hardware is there thats a weekend and a 12pk at the most…shop manuals on a zip drive and the internet now. this should not be this hard.
Worked around auto and equipment shops for over 40 years. We would rarely if ever take on jobs that customer had disassembled. Too many times parts were missing, broken or needed refurbishing. With today’s cost of doing business and mechanic shortages, shops have enough work and it costs so much they aren’t taking chances. The suggestion of getting acquainted with some Cougar Club of New England guys and sharing a case of beer while this goes back together is worth considering.
I think thats what im going to have to do. im frustrated. thanks
Having to agree here as well. I have spent 25years working in auto shops from a dealership to a private fleet shop both as a technician and manager. I can confirm what these guys are saying. I have put together some stuff that has come into my bay already torn down and rarely did it ever work out in my or the shops favor. Often times I like a good challenge and would take the job no one else would but that typically is not a financially smart decision for both the technician and the shop itself.
Your on the right track on finding someone that is vested in cougars first. I think its somewhat rare to find a cougar only shop but maybe a couple local cougar guys you can pay with beer to help ya! You get to meet new friends and learn how to put the front end back on your car.
1 Like
yes I think thats the way. I think I’ll start asking people at mt local car shows who did thier work especially the rare times a Cougar is there find the owner. this has been sobering guys but I think I know better which way to go. Thanks!
I don’t know your skill set but nothing you describe is terribly challenging. How about doing it yourself? I’ve done a lot of car work over the years but I’ve done more on my Cougar than any other car I’ve owned and have enjoyed the challenges and learning experiences. I doubt this is your daily driver from your previous posts so you’ve got time to do the job. Take it slow, learn about your car , and if you make a mistake back up and do it over. The pride you feel at a job well done is pretty cool!
4 Likes
You’ve also got a focused support group right here backing you up! Give it a go!
If you’re still concerned about it, take pictures, post them here and ask for help! This is a great group and all are willing to offer input and advice.
3 Likes
ive given it some thought before and I might give it a go. I have some mechanical knowledge im a lil fearful but im giving it more thought as of recent lol. thanks
Buy a factory shop manual and assembly manual if they have them for your year. I learned more than i needed from them. I would recomend the printed version and a couple boxes of sticky notes
2 Likes
Get the blue or green painters tape to protect the new chrome or painted surfaces. Be careful and go slow with tool to avoid scratching those surfaces. Get a set of the big picks from Harbor Freight to install the headlight retaining springs. Not the small ones. Remember the grille pieces are die cast and can be cracked if you man handle them. Clean all the mounting holes with a thread chaser before installing the screws/bolts. Consider replacing all the fasteners with new as they’re pretty inexpensive.
3 Likes
100% best advice right there, including the sticky notes. For the Cougar, I did also buy all the detailed assembly manuals too which really break everything down on the car. yes these are literally our Bibles to keep these cars on the road from the past and into the future. I put a pic of some and have a bookshelf full just for all the cars I’ve gone thru. The only thing that’s strange is… in a couple dozen vehicles, this is my first FoMoCo car or books, buried in a sea of GM! digital copy is fine if you’re inside at your desk and want to look something over but nothing replaces having the paper books out in the garage or laying there on the cars while you work away. with the paper FSMs, some hard reading and reference, along with dedication and the right tools… there’s just about nothing one can’t do on an old car. For decades now I’ve done everything myself, including body & paint which good people taught me in early teens. Now only choosing not to touch 2 things that I always send out, cylinder heads and inner transmission work. Reading these manuals often taught me how to dig in and properly restore so many things that had first strongly intimidated me. a unique MPFI fuel injection system that was designed in 1973 by GM, Bosch of Germany and USA Bendix corp. Everyone just tears that system out and throws in a carb & intake, but I restored that motor & system back to factory line day#1, took dozens of pics all along the way and that felt so good to complete it, let alone to drive the car smoothly, safely & reliably afterwards again. Hands on, trial & error with some mistakes along the way is best way to learn as you’ll have it for life and won’t do it again. And the DIY successes are so satisfying plus really connect you with your car. Best👊
2 Likes