I always consider "restoring" to mean repairing with the best or most accurate parts that are available, within reason. Of course this varies based on what you are doing... for example, obviously no one has NOS rolls of fabric or cans of paint lying around, but NOS trim parts tend to be numerous.
Even for, say, the metal parts the details can vary widely. Mercedes-Benz, for example, you can buy parts
straight off the manufacturer website for 50+ year old cars and I've heard they can 1-off many obscure parts as needed (for the price of only your whole bank account, probably). Of course for Packard-specific things, nearly all the metal mechanical parts will be used, with some rare NOS. On the other hand, for
restoring a 1909 EMF 30, you'd better have access to a machine shop. Unsurprisingly, this is the case with many rare Brass-era make restorations.
I guess my point is, a potential buyer of a classic car should have a general awareness of parts availability, and from what source (NOS, repro, used, scratch-build) for the various major categories (interior, trim, mechanical) and whether something is a "restoration" can be opined on that basis.
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