From your initial questions it seems your concerns are with the shop owners poor communication skills.
Auto restorers have a tendency to be more artist and less technician than those who do collision repair or both. A lot of artist types are sorely lacking in people skills. Problem is it is still a business. If he doesnt want to take the time to talk with you perhaps he should be working for someone else and not running his own shop. I worked for someone else for years and could lose myself in my work, now as a shop owner I spend alot of my time on the phone or dealing with the walk-ins that wander in and think you have nothing better to do than spend an hour talking cars. If you are uncomfortable enough to have doubts about his work he has been neglecting you plain and simple. Get after him about it.