Ok, so finding a decent 67 Cougar as a starting point for a 67 BME TA replica has been challenging to say the least... So, thinking about another option... A steetable (or made streetable) 67 Mustang TA Replica... Not a huge fan of Springtime or Gawd Awful yella. Prefer white/Red/Blue or maybe Calypso Coral... Saw the "Pumpkin" when Nagle owned it and it grew on me... Prefer a stick, well done safe car... Cage is fine. Can be gutted. If it's not a steerable motor, can let you keep & we can work on the price to adjust. Hit me with what you got... Would also consider a 69 Boss 302 replica as well. Red or blue preferred...
I am surprised you can't find a solid Cougar in Texas.
It's sad actually... Most are just trashed... Few are done correctly. Many are just not worth the time & money to fix right.