Stainless trim for '53 Belvedere 4-door

[RobertKB]

Thankyou very much David and thanks for emailing me. It was nice to get back from camping and find that you have those pieces. Thanks again!! Plymouth people are the best!

[David Pollock]

I have those very pieces somewhere and they are yours for the cost of shipping if you will contact me.  It may take some time to find them though.
You may contact me through this forum or through the POC roster.  D Pollock Shawnigan Lake BC

[RobertKB]

Bill, you described my car exactlly with the extra trim, back-up lights, matching steering wheel, 228 CID, etc. Now I have the parts numbers I can have a better chance of finding the trim that I want. Guess I will stick to looking primarily in Canada. Hopefully I can find someone with a parts car with the needed trim or use the parts number for NOS although I think that unlikely. Thanks a bunch for the information. My car is the 10th last Plymouth built in Canada in 1953 according to the serial number.

[Chrycoman]

Your Plymouth Belvedere is the Canada-only mid-year P24-3 series.  The P24-3, and the D-43-3 Dodge Mayfair, went into production in early April, 1953.   The engine was increased in size from 218 to 228, the interior was more luxurious in either blue or green with matching steering wheel, and had the additional trim on the front doors and rocker panels. 

Only 3,000 P24-3 models and 2,878 D43-3 models were built, both in sedan and hardtop body styles (and not wagons as Thomas McPherson states in "The Dodge Story").  When the "-3" models were introduced, the "-2" Belvedere/Mayfair hardtops were dropped. 

Hy-Drive also became an option in April, 1953.  Rear taillights had a spot at the bottom of the housing for backup lights, an item actually introduced in February or March. 

Chrysler of Canada introduced the "-3" models in response to Chevrolet's Bel Air and Pontiac's Laurentian series.  Ford of Canada would follow in 1954 with the Ford Crestline and Meteor Rideau.  Full page ads appeared in the April 15, 1953, issues of daily newspapers across the country.

Anyway, the following are the part numbers for the side trim pieces.  They are "-3" exclusive and are the same for both sides.  For some reason, the hardtops used trim specific to Dodge or Plymouth.

Door moulding (sedan) - 1512380
Door moulding (hardtop) P24-3 - 1512381
Door moulding (hardtop) D43-3 - 1512477
Body sill mouilding - 1512259

Bill
Vancouver, BC

[RobertKB]

The stainless trim on the driver's front door of my '53 Belvedere 4-door was damaged over the winter (don't ask how) and I would like to find a replacement rather than try and repair the badly damaged one from the car. I have attached a picture of the car showing the one on the passenger side of the car and I believe it is interchangeable with the driver's side front door. I know the Cambridge and Cranbrook did not have this piece of trim and I am not sure a lot of Belvederes did either. It is a Canadian Plymouth and may only have been used on Canadian cars. I am just not sure. This car also has rocker trim which is unusual for a '53 Plymouth but like the trim on the front doors, is from the factory. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated tracking down a replacement piece of trim. Thanks for any help in advance.