7/19/2010
By the Salina Journal

When the Kustom Kemps Leadsled Spectacular cruises into Salina for the Friday through Saturday event in Oakdale Park, Frontenac resident Bill Moore plans to arrive in the "Earth Angel," his own little piece of heaven.

Moore and event organizer Jerry Titus were in Salina in June, and the pair stopped by the Salina Journal to show off Moore's '52 Merc, which he's dubbed Earth Angel. Moore got his hands on the car in 1962, and it's not been the same since.

In place of the car's original flathead motor, Moore dropped in a 390-cubic-inch engine from a 1964 Mercury. That stock engine, fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor, has been rebuilt twice. This is a car that Moore drives -- it's not a show toy he keeps in a garage and occasionally trailers to shows.

On the day he was at the Journal, a strong tailwind had allowed Moore to get between 15 and 17 mpg on his way to Salina.

The automatic transmission is from the same '64 Merc as the motor, while the rear-end is from a '63 Ford Fairlane. The taillights are from a '68 Lincoln, while the dash is from a '64 Mercury.

The backporch, the portion extending past the taillights, is homemade, as are the fender skirts. The car was lowered 6 inches in the front and 8 inches in the back, which means Moore has to be very careful driving over railroad tracks.

To add fuel, just tilt the spare tire holder backward.

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