I was surfing the web today when I ran across the following headline in the Wall Street Journal:

Weak Dollar Creates Bargains For Overseas Buyers of Classic Cars

I've been hearing more and more reports lately of clasic cars being bought up by overseas collectors who are making the most of the current exchange rate.

Is this becoming a trend?

What do y'all think?

When I was a kid, the idea of being made to ride on the so-called "Short Bus" was not something I wanted to think about.

However, I recently had to rethink my whole position on Short Busses after spotting this cool ride on www.justkampers.co.uk.

According to their site, the guys at UK based JustKampers.com teamed up with car midgetizer Andy Saunders to build the world's shortest VW Bus at a recent Volkswagen convention recently.

Once the torches had cooled, the bus had been reduced to a mere 3 feet tall!

In fact, it was so short that the sunroof had to be converted into a make-shift convertible top.

You can check out the entire build (which was completed before a live audience!) at their web site:

www.justkampers.co.uk

I ran across this interesting car today on the South Florida Stangs message board and I have now decided that it is possible to merge speed and snobbery!

OK, I'll admit that it is wrong of me to assume that people that collect Rolls Royces are snobs...but if I owned this set of wheels I can guarantee you that I would turn up my nose at nearly everyone else...at least until a bug flew up it as I sped along the backroads of Wisconsin with my head hung out the window!

According to the site, this particular Rolls Royce Silver Shadow has been fortified with a hood-bulging 1040 HP, blown Hemi-powered 592 that is guaranteed to turn heads and spin the rubber off of your tires. And I shouldn't forget to mention that it also has a dual stage nitrous kit for those times that you really want to blow the doors off of everything else on the road.

As I was trying not to let all the bling and billet blind me, it got me to wondering...what other street-sleepers are out there? Cars that from a distance (ok, I admit that it is hard not to notice the blower popping out of the hood on this Rolls) look like grandma should be driving them but when you look a little closer you quickly realize that thery are packing a lot of power under their hoods.

Let me know what hidden power you appreciate.

What a day it has been. Old Cars Weekly editorial directory Brian Earnest has been interviewing a long line of car owners for use on our www.ThisOldCarRadio.com online station.

The weather has been good, the lemon-ade cold, and the fried cheese curd was crispy as can be.

Throughout the day I have been making my way out through the Swap Meet area looking for some more circus/auto related photos. Don't ask my why, but I can't seem to say no to circus memrobilia. And when there just happens to be a circus truck in the picture...then it is just that much harder to say no.

I've also had a great time hanging out with some of our advertisers and meeting some of the interesting folks that make Old Cars Weekly the great publication it it has become.

Each day I'm snapping photos as I trek out across the show grounds. You can check out these daily photo updates in my album which you can view by CLICKING HERE.

And remember, if you want to see more of the action than I have been shooting, you can always take a look at our online Iola Old Car Show web cams by CLICKING HERE.

Since I can't even begin to take photos of all the great cars and swap finds, be sure to post photos of your own, from Iola, or any show that you attend in the Old Cars Weekly Community Photo Albums.

Well, I'd better get back out there...somebody said that they might be running low on cheesecake on a stick...and who can resist a treat like that?...especially when it comes on a stick!

I just wanted to let you all know, that even though the Iola Old Car Show hasn't even started yet, we are already bringing you photos from the show!

This morning as I was cruising into the office I noticed that there were already roughly 100 swap vendors lined up out in the staging area...ready to roll onto the car show grounds and start setting up today at 3 p.m. CST.

Since I have been itching for weeks for the show to get underway, I took a moment on my lunch break to run outside of the office and take a few photos of the cars that are already on the grounds.

You can check out my album by CLICKING HERE.

Also, Dan Halverson has been busy setting up our streaming video cams that are mounted around our offices and on the Car Show Tower, be sure to check out the cams to see all the action later today as the swapmeet vendors start setting up.

You can check out the action by CLICKING HERE.

Once you are on the Old Cars Weekly Cam page, simply click on the camera you want to view along the left hand side of the page...and be sure to watch closely to see if you can spot Old Cars Weekly editor Angelo VanBogart and the rest of the Old Cars Weekly gang as they scamper about the show grounds.

See you in Iola!

Matt