Technical What fits 53 Hard Top

I have a 53 Chevy Belair Hard Top. Trying to find rear seats. I recently purchased some out of a 54 post. The front fits perfect the rear is not even close. Question is: is the difference the year? Or the hartop? Does anyone know what will fit?

Help Me understand!
Thanks

 

I've tried in my '40 sedan other seats. Unfortunately nothing fits as well as the original. Try advertising here for one, make sure to include your model as in 2 door sedan, convertible, 4 door sedan etc etc. All the information you can. Possibly someone can help. Good Luck!

 

The H.T. is a narrower seat. You probably have some nice armrests back there right next to the seat? The post car would likely be a flat panel with rear armrests being an option. Is this raising an eyebrow...

HT;

Sedan;

 

Highlander is right, the Belair hardtop seat is narrower because of the armrests. You could try to run a 2 door sedan rear seat without the Belair armrests and it might be workable, but I think the package tray is a little different too, doubt it's a bolt-in.

For a direct fit, you want a rear seat, upper and lower from a 1953-1954 Chevy or Pontiac 2 door hardtop, those are the only two that will drop in. Otherwise you'll be forced to modify the seat you bought. Doable, but more work.

55-57 Chevys are the same way. The 2 door hardtop model rear seats have armrests like that and the seat is narrower. Similar to a convertible seat, but again, not the same.

 

That’s a big help thank you very much.

 

I think the Hardtops used seats dimensioned like the Convertible. The Convt seats were narrower to accommodate the folding top mechanism.

Ray

 

I think your onto something.
I have a rear seat for a post car. And the hard top seat is definitely narrower. I would say the seat for a post is at least 6-8” wider.

 

I'm just guessing, but it would make production sense to have only the lower cushion, or frame, different. The upper might fit both because of wheel wells. That said it isn't hard to narrow a lower frame. Take it from the center, clip it back together with crimped tubes and spot welds on the spring rods.

 

My comments in above post were based on two vehicles I owned many years (decades) ago and observations on others. I had a '51 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop and a couple of '53 Plymouth Convertibles.
I also had a '53 Plymouth Hardtop and have a '53 Dodge Hardtop (shares most of body shell with Plymouth in '53/'54.

My recollection is the '51 Chevy Hardtop definitely had narrower rear seat cushions with wider rear trim panels with arm rests. I believe that allowed use of Convertible seat cushions and maintained the 'sportier' nature of the Hardtop body style.

There also has long been some speculation that both the '51 Ford Victoria and the '50/'52 Chevy Bel Airs were convertible body shells/windshield frames/doors with roof stampings (and misc trim bits) added to produce the Hardtop model. That notion probably applies to many other GM/FoMoCo and Mopar models. Such as the '51/'52 Plymouth Belvedere and '51/'52 Dodge Diplomats. However, the '53/'54 Plymouth and Dodge Hardtops had some variances from the Convertibles at the top of the vent window frame and shapes of the quarter windows. Lots of useless trivia here......if your eyes have glazed over, I understand. A common reaction to my unrequested dissertations...

Ray

 

Wrecking yard in Sunset Texas has some 53-4 hard tops. May have a 52 hardtop also. They will ship.
I’m thinking the name is Browns.

 

Don't know if you found hardtop seats but I have a finished rear seat ( new vinyl , foam ,padding etc ). Keeping the front for my post car . But, let me know it's white/ black .

 

@Kill_All_Tires , see post above.

 

Here's my post with pictures , price is very negotiable if intrested : 1954 CHEVY HARDTOP REAR SEAT

 

still have the rear seat? Thanks

 

Yes sir .Hardtop seat for 53/54 .Not SEDAN.

 

Sorry @Kill_All_Tires has not been back here in almost a year.

 

Thanks ,thought I was responding to Iowajeff? Who asked if I still had seat. Am I missing something here?

 

Let's see if we can get @Iowajeff back here to discuss rear seat with @54FISH .

 

location? Have two of the rear hardtop seats. I'm in 25401.

 

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