Need mechanical work

Spring has arrived and soon it will be time to get my 66 Barracuda out and about. There are some things I know need work before I can be confident in driving around to shows, meets etc. The things I know I need is front end work and a leaky auto transmission. There are some garages around that may be able to do this. What is a good way to qualify the right garage to do the work? Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.