'53 and '54 Pontiac guys! Grille/hood pieces

I'm guessing it's going to be really hard to get an answer to this, but I have to try.

Please take a look at the following pictures and then see the questions below...

1953



1954



53 grille...





Parts break-down...



The question is, will items 1, 3, and 4 (1953) from the above diagram interchange with items 5, 8, and 10 (1954)?? The diagram above is a pencil sketch and they show them being slightly different, but pictures show them to be either VERY CLOSE to being the same, or actually one in the same. I don't have a list of part numbers, so I can't tell.

Also, are the headlight rings for a 1953 Pontiac and 1954 Pontiac the same?

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

S

 

Okay... Bumpin' this up! I need some help!

Pupupleeease?

 

They look the same to me but someone from the Pontiac Oakland Club should know.
http://www.poci.org/ I have 2 excellent 54 Pontaic parking lights if you need them.

 

Headlight rings yes, grille not too sure, I may have an extra 53 grille, and front hood bar need to check...Or did you get a 54 to replace?

 

Staying 53 and getting rid of all my 54. I never had the center bar for a 54, but if you know anyone that need corner/directional light housings and the splash apron to provide, I can provide!

Good to know about the rings! That's helps!

When I bought my '53 Poncho, the original owner didn't bother to look at the VIN and decided it was a 54, for some reason. He admittedly didn't know anything about the car when he sold it to me and it had a 54 hood and waterfall on it, so I guess he made the assumption it was a '54 from that. So, basically I have odds and ends from a 53 and from a 54. I bought a 53 grille from another HAMBer, and I have the 54 surround pieces that I pointed out above, but am not sure they will work with the 53 grille. If so, COOL! If not, the guy I bought the grille from will trade me for the originals as long as the 54 surround pieces will actually bolt up to a 53.

Clear as mud?? HAHA!

 

Headlight rings are the same, hood bar (#3 & #8) are the same. I think (but not 100% sure) that the ends pieces are different. I'm partial to the '54 for some reason......

 

Headlight bars (3&8) are different. The mounting points are the same but the profiles do not match different year side pieces. 53 center bar is stainless steel btw. 54 bar is just chrome plated steel.

 

Okay... This is interesting and even a little confusing...

The corner pieces I have are 1954 (items 5 and 10), but bolt up just fine to the 1953 fenders.

The center hood bar I was guessing was also 1954 because I believe the hood is 1954 and it bolts up. I suspect I need to check the holes to see if they line up with emblems for 1953 or 1954 (item #2 for 1953, not shown for 1954 in the diagram) and then determine what the hood is.

BUT!!! If you're telling me that 1953 center hood bars were stainless and 1954 bars were chromed steel then I have a 1953 bar. Mine is stainless for sure. Now this would further create some interesting conversation because those corner pieces (which we know are 1954) match the contour of what seems to be a 1953 center bar.

UHG!!!!

Can someone just take a damn picture of their 1953 corner trim pieces (items 1 and 4) for at least visually compare?

This is nuts...

 

The bar on the lip of the hood in 1954 was chromed steel on my '54 Chieftan. ALL the front end was chrome, no stainless except for the waterfall itself.

 

The more I stare at the hood, the more I think it must be a 1953, based on the 4-holes that are above the hood center bar mounting holes...



I know the center water fall is a 1954 for sure (and is for sale if anyone is interested), but never tried to actually mount the 1954 emblem that matches up with that half moon that's in the water fall there...

Thoughts? Does it appear to be a 1953 hood? BTW... they're not lining up because everything is just sitting there. Bolted up, the hood and fenders line up flawlessly.

 

Okay! Then I have a 1953 hood bar and the corner pieces are 1954 and are indeed chromed steel. So that makes sense.

So now we just need to figure out if indeed the 1954 corner pieces, will work with a 1953 grille... The 1954 pieces bolt up for sure and match the contour of the '53 bar.

 

I just stumbled into this being I just bought a complete Grill assembly. Mine is 1954 and all came off the same stock car, The hood piece is S.S. the end pieces are Chrome plated. I had to buy the complete unit including the signal housings to get the One part I wanted. If any of my extra pieces will help one of you guys out send me a P.M.
The Wizzard

 

I was glancing around on Egay just now and saw someone selling a 1954 center hood bar that was ALSO stainless. So maybe there were a few being made this way, or maybe 1953 and 1954 are truly the same (in shape and mounting) but later they started making them from steel and chromed them?

 

RE: "BUT!!! If you're telling me that 1953 center hood bars were stainless and 1954 bars were chromed steel then I have a 1953 bar."
Scootermcrad; I have a 1954 Pontiac hood bar sitting on my desk in front of me and I am sure it's stainless.

 

I've never seen a 54 grill that had any factory stainless in it. Not that I claim to be an expert, who knows what Pontiac might have done in the early 50's. I stumbled across a 53 SS bar at a swapmeet and was stoked. Previously, I'd only ever ever come across beat and rusted 54 pieces, that were in worse shape than what I already had. The 53 looked right, but when I installed it the profile wasn't the same. The 53 bar was shallower by almost an 1" at the center point and 1/2" at the ends. If I had 53 side pieces then it would have matched better, but might have looked strange being an 1" shallower over the grill center.
I don't have the 53 bar here at the house, but can measure it and compare it to the 54 when I'm down at my studio later.

By the way, here's my 54 with and without the center bar.

 

Your hood is a 53. Those 4 holes are for mounting the pontiac emblem. My 53 center bar is s.s. and the 53 corners are chrome. What do you need pics of? I'll get them for you. I'm also planning a little road trip your way with the poncho in a couple weeks.

 

AWESOME! Thanks! I kind of figured those holes with line up with the hood script block! GREAT!

I need pictures of items 1 and/or 4 by themselves to compare to the pieces I have that are from 54. They really do appear to be the same. If you're going to be down this way I would LOVE to see the Poncho! Keep me posted!

Scofflaw, that's interesting about the center bar. Measuring mine, it appears to be about 3-1/2" long at the center cross section (back edge at center to the nose). With the bar sitting tips down on the floor and the peak pointing straight up, I get about 4-3/4" from floor to center tip. I'm guessing mine is a '53, but I'm curious what everyone else has for measurements.

 

scott, I have one headlight ring...do you need it?

 

I definitely need some!

Hey! Can you hook us up with a picture of those corner pieces that match the 53 grille (items 1 and 4 above)?

 

you want it?

 

Here's pictures of the '54 corner pieces I have (5 and 10):





And here's a picture I found on the web somewhere of how the pieces would mount to the '53 grille. From the back it sure looks like the '54 pieces would mount the same...



Someone take some pictures of the their '53 pieces!

 

It looks like they are about the same Scott

 

Awesome! Maybe trading won't be required! I so want them to work with that 53 grille!

 

crappy cell phone pic, yours are much nicer btw

 

three inside mounting holes on both along with the one on the bottom edge

 

I have 53 and 54 pieces for each side, they will fit, they may be a "little" different dimentions but they bolt right up.

I have a 53 hood / waterfall / and grille on my 53, but I took a 54 hood to steal the hinges off of.

the 54 hood is different as the waterfall is longer on a 53 than a 54. a 54 waterfall could be made to fit on a 53 hood, but a 53 waterfall will not fit on a 54 hood.

but,, back to your question, I have multiple 53 and 54 pieces that your asking about, the left and right of the center bar..... they look pretty much the same.

and the 54 and 53 hoods both had stainless center bars on the half dozen parts cars i've seen.

 

They do look just slightly different, but it appears it's just the shape of where it sits IN the grille. Mounting hole where it actually screws into the grille bars appears to be in the same location or real damn close...

...and slickchoppers seems to be reinforcing the fitment.

 

Scofflaw mentioned a 1" difference it 53 and 54 hood pieces. I just checked my hood trim to upper fender pieces and they are exactly the same. Maybe they came off a real early production 54 and hadn't changed over yet.
The Wizzard

 

hmmmm...well anyways, if you want to trade, just let me know scott. I'm sure everything will fit into one of those USPS boxes so I can ship your ring, emblems and these grille pieces if you want

 

I am starting to wonder if the stainless vs. chrome in 1954 is based on when they were produced in the model year and/or WHERE. My '54 Poncho was in Northeast Ohio - maybe in other parts of the country they used stainless hood bars??
(This is plausible: the bumpers on '53-54 Chevies in Ohio where I used to live are all 3-piece and there are plenty of one-piece bumpers on '53-54 Chevies in Kansas and all California cars so things were clearly less standardized back then?)