I wonder what happened to the factory tooling.
I know there are instances where very niche vehicles have had the factory tooling located and purchased (or otherwise acquired), but I'm sure that's just silly talk.
The way I see it, those who love the Cougar will find a way to keep the vehicles in a fitting state of repair, some will survive decades yet, and the "nice" ones will hopefully continue to have owners who'll undertake the requisite tasks to maintain them lessening the need to replace panels. Outer sills are no big issue for any competent welder/beater (look on here for evidence of spectacular jobs accomplished on the driveway by those with the skills) inner sills are hidden, as are floor parts.
I'm almost confident the MOT failing issue of rear-subframe assemblies will present a much larger issue in the next decade than bodywork; you can drive a car with a rusty wing but once an NT and his rather indelicate test-hammer have condemned a subframe you're off the road....
..... and intuition tells me the supply of decent subframes will be exhausted more rapidly than panels - a scrapyard car is far more likely to be waiting for the crusher because the subframe has been condemed than a rotten wing.
Also bearing in mind that an item like a wing can have a patch fabricated successfully, it needn't always mean a tatty "X" requires total replacement. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying in any way it's incorrect to want the opportunity to purchase a bolt on replacement, but second best could well be good enough.
I know there are instances where very niche vehicles have had the factory tooling located and purchased (or otherwise acquired), but I'm sure that's just silly talk.
The way I see it, those who love the Cougar will find a way to keep the vehicles in a fitting state of repair, some will survive decades yet, and the "nice" ones will hopefully continue to have owners who'll undertake the requisite tasks to maintain them lessening the need to replace panels. Outer sills are no big issue for any competent welder/beater (look on here for evidence of spectacular jobs accomplished on the driveway by those with the skills) inner sills are hidden, as are floor parts.
I'm almost confident the MOT failing issue of rear-subframe assemblies will present a much larger issue in the next decade than bodywork; you can drive a car with a rusty wing but once an NT and his rather indelicate test-hammer have condemned a subframe you're off the road....
..... and intuition tells me the supply of decent subframes will be exhausted more rapidly than panels - a scrapyard car is far more likely to be waiting for the crusher because the subframe has been condemed than a rotten wing.
Also bearing in mind that an item like a wing can have a patch fabricated successfully, it needn't always mean a tatty "X" requires total replacement. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying in any way it's incorrect to want the opportunity to purchase a bolt on replacement, but second best could well be good enough.
