Our 2009 Mustang Parts and Accessories Catalog is here!

We actually were a few days ahead of schedule with our 2009 Mustang Parts Catalog. If you are on our mailing list, it was mailed to you on Wednesday, Nov. 19th. If you are not on our list, please click here to request one.

Our covers were photographed again this year by Troy Kruger from Custom Show Boards. As an amateur photographer myself, I continue to be amazed by Troy's photography. His graphic and Photoshop skills are also quite apparent in his work. We really encourage you to check out his work on his web site. He is constantly coming up with new designs.

Troy has some pretty cool cars also. One of them is our 2009 Cover Car. How about a 1966 Mustang GT Convertible with the K Code engine package? This unique car also features Styled Steel Wheels, Pony Interior and a 4 speed transmission. I love those 289 HiPo Mustangs! Below are some more images that Troy sent for you to enjoy. Thanks again, Troy!

2009 Virginia Classic Mustang Catalog

For the first time since we started this Blog, we have not posted in a week! To our loyal readers, we will just say that we are sorry. We do have a good excuse though; we have been working hard on our 2009 Mustang parts and accessories catalog, and the files are now in the hands of the printer! The mail date is November 21st! Hopefully, some of you will have them in your hands by Thanksgiving. Just allow plenty of time for bulk mailing!

Anyway, we thought that we would give you a little "sneak peak" of the cover car. Like last year, the photography is just fantastic and was done by our friend, Troy Kruger, at http://www.customshowboards.com/. That's actually Troy's very own 1966 Mustang GT Convertible equipped with the rare 289 High Performance "K" engine package. One of the pictures here feature Troy's two daughters. Troy's Mustang has been named "Ivy" by his oldest daughter.

We invite everyone to check out Troy's web site and his beautiful work. Also type in "custom showboards" in the search box in the top left corner of this page to see more posts about Troy's work.

How to Photograph Your Mustang-Part 2: Compostion

From the desk of Troy Kruger, the photographer of the 2008 catalog car.

This is the second installment of a series of articles, which will help you create that spectacular photograph that you yearn for. Last time we learned how to use both natural and artificial lighting to help achieve great shots. Click here to see Part 1 in the series of articles. This week, we’ll learn how to position your camera for that money shot.

When taking pictures of your car, please remember that the car is the star, so pick a good location/background that doesn't detract from your car and that contrasts with the car's color/paint nicely. Be aware of your surroundings. Look for reflections in your car showing parking lot stripes, telephone poles and wires, busy tree branch/leaf reflections, clouds, building windows, people, and the camera/photographer! If you can find an open clear area with a nice clear horizon behind you, you have a great spot. If choosing a location such as a store or gas station, always choose a location that appears OLDER than your car.

If you remember nothing else, remember this easy tip: Turn your wheels so that the wheel face of the front exposed wheel is aimed at the camera. Nobody wants to see your tire treads. This is a common mistake, and the easiest error to avoid.

For a great aggressive looking muscular shot, get down to the ground at bumper level and take some ¾ view shots of both front and rear. You will have to move your car around to get both front and rear, as you must keep the light behind you. Park the car on a LEVEL surface. Mount your camera down real low so that you can see all 4 tires touch the ground through the camera view finder. The more you can do to create an imaginary line touching the bottom of all 4 tires, the better. This is a good starting point for many spectacular shots. Move around and experiment from that point on. Try to avoid “hiding” one of the rear tires from the shot. Use a telephoto lens of about 120-180 mm and stand back far for this shot so as not to distort or “bulge” out the front of the car. Try tilting the camera 20-30 degrees to create another dramatic effect.

Use a ladder or climb on a roof and take some perspective shots from up high. This works great with convertibles and cars with stripes. The ladder is also very helpful for shooting the underhood shots, especially if you are a bit vertically challenged. You should always be using your tripod when you can.

When attempting a side view “profile” shot, you must use a tripod and get the camera set up so that you are looking through the side windows as cleanly as possible without seeing the other interior door through the window opening. Speaking of windows, roll up the windows during a photo shoot, except for convertible shots when the top is down.
Don't be afraid to take 100 pictures of your car - you may only get a dozen that you can actually use! Digital media is cheap - your time for a re-shoot isn't. Speaking of digital, we’ll discuss equipment in our next installment. Good luck, and happy shooting.

More tips are available on my website: http://www.customshowboards.com/

Custom Show Boards

I just received my Custom Show Board from Troy at Custom Show Boards. I just gave Troy the pictures and information and let him use his creativity to put together a design that he liked. I could not have been more pleased with the results. The quality of the actual printed board is really nice, and his design work is great! This particular one measures 20 inches x 20 inches. Just take a look at his site for the general designs and more information about the products. The show boards are definitely something that you may want to consider for your Mustang or Shelby with the upcoming show season nearly here.





Along with the show board, he created some post cards and business cards that you may see in your "goodie bag" at an upcoming Mustang show.



Troy also shot the cover of our 2008 Catalog. Be sure to also read his informative post about How to Photograph Your Mustang and look for more information here about that subject.

How to Photograph Your Mustang: Part 1

From the desk of Troy Kruger, the photographer of the 2008 catalog car.

Welcome the first part of a series of posts that will show you how to properly photography your Mustang. Whether it be for advertising it for sale, or just having fun with your camera and your favorite subject, you will appreciate these tips. We'll all appreciate seeing your great photos on the customer cars section of this website as well!

Today's topic is LIGHTING.


Good photography is 90% lighting. Since many of us don't have access to a studio large enough for our cars, we have to do with what natural light is available to us. Plan your photo shoot carefully. Avoid midday sun, as the light is very harsh and will wash out the top of your vehicle. Late evening/early morning horizontal light is the best. If you are lucky you can get some very good photos right at sunset. You have little time to get the perfect shot, though. That's why I recommend starting with sunrise time instead as you won't run out of time after the "perfect" moment. Make sure the light source is behind you, but don't let your body cast a shadow onto your shot!


Some have recommended using a fill flash, but I don't like it for exterior shots. It looks unnatural to me, and anything reflective on your car (like license plates and decals) will be way overexposed (Boss and Mach 1 owners know what I'm talking about). Instead, always use a tripod so that you can shoot without a flash. You can get a tripod at the local electronics store for under $50 - no need to break the bank if you are just getting started. A flash is often necessary for interior shots and underhood engine shots to fill in the shadows. I like to find some bright shade for these shots and use my flash. Watch out for harsh sun and shadows.



Another good time to take a photo of your car, especially if it is a darker color is during an overcast day. You have more time, and you can rely on your automatic settings with your camera if you are just getting the hang of things. Little can go wrong in this light (except rain!). You still need to use a tripod, so don't think you are going to get off that easy!


The pictures in this post show a car in both sunset, overcast, and flash lighting. You decide which is which, but in the end they all look good!


See more tips on my website: Custom Show Boards

Catalog Cover Photography

We have gotten a lot of favorable comments about the photography on the covers of this year's catalog. As mentioned on the inside front cover, the beautiful photography is the work of Troy Kruger. That's his dad's GT350H on the covers.

We invite you to check out more of Troy's work by visiting his web site - http://www.customshowboards.com/. You can read about the show boards that he produces and even check out some of the incredible samples in his gallery. We have also listed his site under our links on this page.