I am honored and flattered to be a judge here. Thanks for that
A few things occur to me when reading throught the thread and the vaious entries thus far… there are a lot of factors that are going to go in to a successful restoration of this car. More than what will be required to win this contest!
But if I was entering, I’d want to talk about some of these points. I hope my long-winded editorial is appropriate here:
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This is going to take a ton of time. Do I have it? Will I be able to sustain the energy? Where does your energy come from? Your inspiration?
This car is going to require a TON of parts. Seat Covers, trim, bumpers, sheet metal floor panels, engine, Transmission, brackets and componenets for said engine, tail light housings and grilles, front grille restoration (and possibly new parts everywhere). Door handles, window cranks, windows possibly, bezels, emblems,windsheild, brakes, brake lines fuel lines, seat cushion, door panels, dash pad, instrument cluster…it goes on and on…and all the time in the world isnt’ going to get you these parts restored. Many of them will need to be bought outright. So do you have the resources to acquire them? I’m not trying to pee on anyones fire, but the facts are the facts here… Cougars are not Camaros-you don’t just pick up one of 5 catalogs and buy cheap parts and slap the car together. The parts that WCCC provides, for example, have been largely developed in just the last 5-10 years. But they ain’t cheap. They are often very valuable parts, be they NOS or original junk yard parts in good shape or reproductions of some of the most minor of things like opera lights. They are worth it, but they really add up. It often doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a perfect XR-7G, GT-E or a 2V standard 289…Cougars are Cougars and they have a ton of unique parts.
If you don’t necessarily want to build a “perfectly restored” Cougar (and that is perfectly OK) what is the plan? Do you have a bunch of parts collected already? Do you want to merely get the car on the road as soon as possible, but with respectable idea of what it will look like when complete? Do you just want to build a drag-racer or a concourse quality Cougar? Something in-between?
Do you have a restomod idea? Will that make it easier to afford the project?
Do you have the skills to accomplish the work required or (again) the resource$ to farm-out a lot of the work, such as the body/sheet metal/frame work? Relatives, friends that owe you favors? Do you then have a favorite painter, engine builder, interior guy or are you looking forward to doing any of these parts yourself? It is a rare person that can build an engine AND also do the body work and the interior work. If you are, I envy you Don’t even get me started on the cost of pot-metal and headlamp restoration.
(goes back to 2. a bit). There are a lot of “Uh-Ohs” that crop up with project like this. Whether going the concourse route or the “simply saved a good driver” route… Seat covers are one thing, but what about the seat frames? belts? Dash pad? Console? Engines are one thing, but what about that correct fan shroud? PCV components? Power steering pump? Fan Clutch? Again, this project requires a boatload of parts (again) that will need to be sent out for restoration or simply bought…there i$ a theme here i$nt there? Tell us how your plan. Frankly, developing an outlined plan is a good exercise for yourself anyway…
Do you have the space and tools required? It’s OK if you don’t, but the car is going to be somewhere…and the parts are going to be collected somewhere, and the mailing involved for all of these parts and services required is a huge task. Where is this all going to happen? Or did you just get an inheritance and plan to ship the car over to KTL?
I just wanted to reiterate what Don said in his video–This is not something that will be easy nor cheap. This GT is exactly the OPPOSITE of the kind of car that is recommended for someone to take on as a restoration project. It doesn’t have good sheet metal or undercarriage. It is not as rust-free as possible. It contains very little that can be regarded as “salvageable” in the interior or the engine bay or the drivetrain. It is a massive project. And it is an expensive project, regardless of which direction you want to go with it. Be aware of the costs and be aware that you will not see a financial return for a long long time if you take it “all the way”. And, it is extremely unlikely that the costs of restoration could be recuperated in your lifetime. Cougars by-and-large aren’t “there”, financially, yet. So is this car for you because you are willing to spend so much time and money?
So because of this harsh reality, this project is very much about salvaging a great rare Classic. How many of these cars ever existed? How many are restored and running these days? How about just running originals? Do you have one in mind that inspires you? I will like to continue to hear from folks about their passion for the cars. For this car. Tell us how you envision Cougars and how you have loved the Cougar. What does an original 1967 GT 4-Speed Cougar mean to you?
Tell us how you know you are the right Man or Woman for this car. As important and difficult as it is going to be to change the car…How is it going to change you?
Sheesh… Thanks for putting it into perspective Brian, I guess… On the bright side!!! It seems we have a lot of youth vying to own this car and that is a good thing. Thinking back to my teen years of owning a beater 68 std. with no hope, my goals were things like glass packs and a new set of 6x9’s. The car was a lost cause but I was not afraid to invest way too much time into it because it was mine and time was plentiful. This car could be put back together for about $3000 believe it or not. Floor pans are cheap and all the other minor rust repairs would take time but very little money. Rusty East Coast parts cars with decent interior can still be had for under $600, forget about a letter correct drive-train, start off with the free 390 offered here or throw a junkyard small block in it for now. Do a semigloss rat rod paint job in the driveway with a friend and in two years of weekends you have a driver. Many here would turn their nose up at that but others here who have INCREDIBLE cars will tell you how they have gone through their High School Hot Rod 2-4 times over the years. Each time the end result will vary greatly depending your financial status, skill level, maturity and who you know that will work for beer at the time. BTW, my beater 68 is how I got into the business. I had no money to put into my car but a friend and I went in on a 67 parts car for $75 (all the same as 68 right?) and after I got my goodies and my friend took his, we sold the rest for a few hundred dollars. That was so fun I did another, then another and another… Anyway, in the end fixing up my first few Cougars cost me nothing but a lot of bloody knuckles and time. Again, those with careers, children and a long “things to do list” shudder at the thought of this approach.
It bears repeating here: Time + Talent + Money = Finished car project. If you lack in any one of these areas, you need to be able to make up for it in the other two. If you fall short in two of these areas, you better have a BOATLOAD of the third.
I agree. I went through my car 3 times in 20 years. Each time took those 3 things in spades. Each time was different in terms of outcome vs daydreams.
But there is nothing like doing it yourself. Nothing.
This is the car equivalent of Einsteins Theory of Relativity (E=MC2). FC=TTM. Humanity may disprove Einstein before disproving this one. For me, with BBCat, the equation translated into FC=0+0+$17K and I still have a short list of finish items yet to complete. Keep in mind that BBCat started as a running, driving, complete '67 XR-7 GT that then swallowed $17K in restoration funds. Granted, I didn’t skimp on using new or restored parts everywhere so, as Don noted, a good driver can be done for a lot less.
But this is a 4-speed '67 GT. Personally, I’d hate to see it become a rat rod. It’s rare enough to deserve better, but I agree that any destination is better than the crusher. Now I just need to keep reminding myself that I really don’t need another Cougar, even one that is a near-twin to BBCat.
Think I have a pretty good lock on this notion and have stuck to it. Well that and I am fairly certain that along with another Cougar so too would come divorce!
For me it has always been a question of willpower. Will to see an epic resto through, will to not take lightly what would come with taking on another cat.
I agree that it is apparent a lot of youthful applicants are interested…and I think that is awesome! It makes me smile that a car over 45 years old is still cool-looking and sounding and feeling to an 18 year old today. This, in a nutshell, is why the Cougar is a Classic Automobile-its appeal crosses many generations.
I didn’t mean to shower on a fire here, but if there is one lesson I can convey to anyone, especially any youth, about a project like this…it is that it can be a long tiring and expensive road if one is going to bring it to “restored” status. And as mentioned-this is a 67 GT. It is a special car that (I think) needs to be preserved as that.
But it is also a candidate as a long-term-do-it-as-you-can project that can be driven in the meantime, too…if handled right. I’m all for the Cat-Rod Idea if everything “can” be someday put back together as the GT Cat that it is. That could be as simple as saving the VIN stamps on this car
I know I came across as a bit of a Debbie Downer, guys…sorry about that. But this isn’t/won’t be an easy project. It’ll take time and energy and skill and $. That is all.
The upside is that this car will be watched and the winner will be cheered-on for a long time by a lot of people. I will totally be behind that person…all of us will. It will be fun to vicariously live through the experience. If it is younger “new” cougarholic or an experienced Resto-Vet, the project will carry a lot of intrigue and excitement with it…
The main point I was trying to make was that I want to see WHAT and HOW you can conquer the difficulties of a task/project like this. There are a ton of decisions to make and a lot of them are a lot of fun…what is going to drive you? What is the target and what kind of guns are you bringin’ to the party?
I like what Brian is saying. I realize this is an essay, but talk is cheap. Let’s see some pictures of what you’ve done or where you’ve done it. Or if this will be a first time for you, let’s see what you’ve got to work with. If you plan to do the work in your driveway you really haven’t thought this through.
Amen to that. Given the time and expense of my last project, I had to pause to consider if I would live long enough to finish another (I think I can but it might be close ) These things are a labor of love; they’re frustrating and expensive and time-consuming but really satisfying when the end comes into view. I look forward to seeing this car back in street form, whoever wins it. FWIW, I agree with you about preserving a special edition such as this, they aren’t making any more of them.
Brian I’m glad you said it because I was thinking it as I read through the submissions, specifically thinking back to when I was not a 30-something with a decent paying job. I wouldn’t even have been able to afford the gas when I was 18-20, much less a single repair, much less a restoration! The money is the harsh reality. I’m kinda in awe that Don says it can be done for $3k. Last I heard a good paint job cost more than that all by itself!
When I was in highschool I wanted a 60’s Mustang (only cause I didn’t even know Cougars existed back then). Knowing what I know now, I’m glad my dad convinced me that buying the one we went and looked at (the only one anywhere close by that I could afford) would have been a huge mistake because of all the work it needed and all its rust problems. I didn’t wanna hear it at the time, but my warehouse job would barely have covered gas and insurance, much less a ton of repairs.
So I think Brian totally nailed it. To win the car, I think the submission that takes it should be one that establishes not just the desire to have the car and some idea of what to do with it (and that’s a huge one) but also the reality of how the car will be revived. Uncle with a body shop? Have a job as a computer programmer? Won the lottery? A pic of the garage and tools that will be used goes a long way toward showing that the hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of tools required wont just be one more hidden, unanticipated cost.
I also love the idea of the car being customized to whatever degree. Just like the quote attributed to Mark in the “here’s the judges” post… I think giving the car some personal style is way cooler than doing a pure restoration. To even think that a car that’s given away for free would see anything like a concours restoration seems pretty absurd to me. If you’ve got the tens of thousands of dollars to go the concours route, why are you looking for a free car? Leave that for the folks that don’t have that huge of a budget.
So the question is, what’s it really cost to bring the cat back to life and not looking like a piece of dirt? $7500? $10k? I personally wanna see the car go to somebody young. But I wouldn’t vote for someone who can’t explain how they’re gonna bankroll it.
It’'s not that often that I agree with Al. But I do on this.
Speaking as one of the judges, I’ve yet to be impressed with any of the submissions. We need MORE!!! Lets’ see what you’ve already done. Let’s see the resources that you’re relying on to make this happen. Stories that tug at the heartstrings are nice but they don’t get your hands dirty either.
I have no illusions about what it will cost to restore this car, I am just saying lets look at the other end of the spectrum and what would be the minimum required to “save” this car. Believe it or not you can still paint a car in your driveway for under $700, here is one of our local Cascade Cougar Club members who did his in the driveway with a roller and a bucket of boat paint and nobody remarks that his car “looks like dirt”. Those of us that grew up poor know that just because everyone says “it cannot be done” does not mean it is so. Anybody ever follow Jim-Bob on the Walton’s as a young person? Here was a story about a kid in the depression that did not wear shoes half the time but as a teen he owned multiple cars and a plane! My Grandfather had very similar depression era stories about his Model T’s and such. I was told after I graduated from High School I could not rent a house with my buddies because I had no credit so we bought a $13,000 house on private contract, fixed it up for very little money, a boat load of labor and then flipped it for $60k. I say all this not to prove all the middle income guys wrong but rather to encourage those with grit and a solid network to not listen too much to those going a different route. Lets be honest, the car is financially not worth a full on correct resto at present but either was my first GTE in the 90’s. Someday this GT could be very much worth the effort but for now lets get it out of the weather and in someones hands who has a passion for it. If I see this car at a “cruise-in” in the future with the same paint, repaired floor pans, mostly complete and moving under its own power I will be thrilled. What is coincidental is that James who works here as a parts puller, just got a green on green 67 with no floor boards for almost nothing. His plan is to put it together (not restore it) for under $1500. We will soon be starting a blog to follow his progress.
Determination is more important than money. Money just makes things easier. The reason I learned to work on cars was because I had no money and the only car I could afford needed LOTS of work. If you have no money you start out by bartering with what you do have. I used to install car stereos in trade for machine shop work. You just have to stay after it. I dramatically reduce my own cost of restoration by buying parts cars and selling off what I don’t need to pay for what I do need. I fix a lot of things that other guys send out for repair. The coolest part of the car hobby is that if you are motivated and creative you really can polish a turd into something cool. Rat rods are the perfect example of taking a bunch of junk and making it fun. Sure money can make things faster and prettier, but give the guys a chance that don’t have a fat wallet or a portfolio of finished products… just my opinion anyway.
Re-reading the thread a couple times, I think between Brian’s highly insightful post and Don’s description of $3k and two years of work to have a driver, that pretty much covers the “reality” side of things. Sorry if I seemed negative. I just want to see essays that have a strong “reality” component to offset the “dream” component that is by its nature inherent in every single essay that will get submitted. The dream is the easy part. A solid plan for logistics is what will determine the winner, I’m betting, based on what the judges have had to say here so far.
This ride is a daily driver owned by the Father of one of my youngest customers. When you watch our open house video, look at the blue Cougar at 4:22 that does one of the most impressive burnouts. This father / son combo knows how to build cars on the cheap in their driveway and actually complete them.
Wow ,quite some bashing on the essays and if people are able to fix this car.
As i read correctly the WCCC doesn’t care what you do with the car , complete restoration, cheap and ready to go resto…
So its sad to see people breaking some or future posters down because they lack a good story…
I do agree , if you want this car try to convice the judges , but the main thing here was to write an essay,
Some wrote a personal story ,some wrote down their experience…nowhere was to be found that you needed to swim in the money or weren’t allowed to make this a cheap fix
So i’m hoping ( not for me ) but in general the judgin of this contest aint going to be about who has the best gear to fix this car, the most money and so on because reading the last page
it surely looks like its going there…
I have to agree on Don here, you can fix a car cheap to get in on the road.
And painting on your driveway or dusty garage is possible.
I did it with two cars , one was my mercury cougar 71 and the other was a 90’s chevy pickup from my brother
My friend painted them in a dusty garage ,LOW budget stuff and the result was amazing ,
My current cougar i went in for the long haul because i knew this was the car i was gonna keep forever ,
So i hired a ‘pro’ for the job, the paintjob had cost me 4000$ , and its not better then the low budget paint jobs…
Reason is the pro was a douchebag…but just saying lots of money does not mean its going to be good,
Its all about the passion, i worked with passion on my cars and it looks great , my friend painted the cars with passion and it looked great, the pro worked for money and it looks terrible
So if its me or another contestant ,its the passion which is gonna be the succes of this car !
Don’t even get me started on the cost of pot-metal and headlamp restoration.
Tell us how your plan. Frankly, developing an outlined plan is a good exercise for yourself anyway…
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But I do on this.