OT..later year fender skirt

[Plymouthy Adams]

I know we have a some 53/54 owners here..I have been in contact with a couple in PM..but can anyone shed any light as to the fender skirts for a 53/54Club Coupe? They are NOT the same as the sedan and wagon..I have a set here, all steel, that I personally fitted to the 53/54 wagons and sedans for a "like-a-glove" fit...but the club coupe..not even close..I know only that the club coupe and business coupe do not have the same roof line the sedan has..had no ideal if this is the cause for the different wheel opening..I find listings for these skirts and all companies say same model fits all these cars..further info shows the sister car, Dodge does addrress the coupe/convertible bodies as different and no one list skirts for these cars..one man confirmed the Dodge is disticntly different, YET you see pictures of these cars with skirts on the internet all the time. One internet site makes a mention to the different bodies but not in detail..

who knows the truth?

[Plymouthy Adams]

if this was Tell the Truth, looks like I stumped the panel..but folks don't feel too bad as I contacted a major company that deals in the skirts..they did not have an answer as to model difference, did not even address that particular question, so it seems there is no exact (aftermarket) product for the application but they suggest an generic skirt that is an overlay of the fender opening..(they do carry one of these)...which is not in my opinion a suitable application..still looking for a set of factory steel..they are out there..just the informations seems elusive..

Edited January 1, 2010 by Tim Adams

[B-Watson]

Chrysler offered fender skirts as an accessory for 1953-54 Plymouths, and they fit all models.

In the case of the 1953-54 Dodge, the sedans and club coupes used an extended version of the Plymouth body (114" extended to 119" wheelbase) and thus had virtually every piece of exterior sheet metal, as well as the windshield, different from the Plymouth.

The Dodge Suburbans and Sierras used the Plymouth Suburban body (4-door Dodge wagons were extended 2-door models by Mitchell Bentley in Ionia, MI) and thus differed from the big Dodges. The convertibles and hardtops were Plymouth bodies with a Dodge front clip and unique rear quarter panels.

But for Plymouth, there were five versions of the rear quarter panels :

1) 4-door sedan

2) 2-door club sedan

3) business coupe & club coupe

4) convertible & hardtop

5) Suburban

So there might be difference in the rear wheel opening, but given that Chrysler offered but one skirt for all body styles . . .

Just how does the skirt you have not fit the club coupe? Too short? Too long? Incorrect height? Can you try to fit them on another 1953-54 Plymouth coupe?

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[Plymouthy Adams]

Bill interesting read and thanks for joining in here..unfortunately I have no other coupes here in my area to my knowledge to try these skirts on...the fact they fit the 53/54 four door sedans and the suburbans I can attest to as I personally fitted them. The fit on my car is not close in three ways:

If you flush the top of the skirt to the opening there is a gap at the curves of the wheel opening front and rear..

If you shift the skirt to the rear..the gap at the rear could be considered marginal and with a gasket be tolerable for fit but the skirt then become very short at the front edge with a toolarge a gap and the gap in the top curve at the front is now extremely pronounced.

If you try to fit the curve to the front...and keep it flush to the top the skirt closest fit leaves a more than acceptable gap in the curve, the rear fit is too high into the opening and also has an unacceptable curve..

These conditions exist for both left and right fender skirts equally thus the difference in the wheel opening. My car shows no sign of rear quarter damage either side since factory assembly..I thought this may be a cause for the non-fit when I first got the skirts but after looking at both sides and see the difference is equal..I assumed then that this panel is different from the other models.

I have tried my best to see pictures of Club Coupes on the internet..of the few available there seems to be a set like mine that fits was made to fit against the lip opening of the fender..the other is an over lay and looks pathetic..

Anyway...I have a nice set of steel skirts here that turns out to be for a complete different wheel opening.

[Frank Elder]

Here's a few Tim.:)the 2 at the bottam seem to be different.....

[Frank Elder]

December hemmings

[Plymouthy Adams]

It only gets better...the 53 bodies identified in your picture is so different from the 54 line up..with the addition of another model line in 54 we have the P25-1,2, and 3

I found it interesting that the 53 Cambridge club coupe is 1954 is called a club sedan and the high line Cranbrook ws the club coupe. The rear window vent makes the difference. The 53 business coupe does not have the rear vent nor rear seat...in 54 these bodies were better defined across the lineup of all three groups..

There is so much to learn about the subtle differences and no great source for research unless you just lucky enough to have access to all the different models to compare.

[BobT-47P15]

Tim - about the only other thing you can do is measure the fender

opening for width and length, then when skirts appear on ebay or

wherever, you can check for actual length/width of the skirt.

I one time bought some skirts they said were for a Ford...they looked

about right, but were too small when I tried them. Sold them and

later found these. They are 33 3/4" long by 11 inches tall at the tape.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Bob...the overlay style skirt as you picture on your car I can get my hands on from a aftermarket supplier..(per their letter yesterday)...they are touted as generic fit-all that covers a lot of different cars...I view this as a very iffy look and personally not the style I wish to have on the car...I don't like the manner in which they attach to the body...I guess if at any time in the near future I see a club coupe with skirts I shall ask permission to trace an outline. Seems I either get the odd duck stuff or unwilling to bend to the norm...likely a touch of both.

[BobT-47P15]

Ahhh....then I take it you're wanting the type skirt that fits inside the fender

opening, not over it like mine. That might be pretty tricky to find.

Have you checked with Fender Skirt King of Canada? http://www.fenderskirtking.com/Chrysler.htm

Some that resemble these......

Or this....

The blue car was advertised on this site......http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/941118.html

Edited January 2, 2010 by BobT-47P15

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes Bob..the factory look, flush fit to the the lip of the fender opening with a rubber seal between the metal and in steel if I can find it..the overlay is just not the look I want on my car..

as for the site you mentioned..the owner returned my inquiry real quick and states that the only thing they have to offer is an overlay...for those that may be interested in that part number, it is: BT600

I sent Reg at Fenderskirtking a thanks for his quick reply and supplied part number.

Edited January 2, 2010 by Tim Adams

[B-Watson]

It only gets better...the 53 bodies identified in your picture is so different from the 54 line up..with the addition of another model line in 54 we have the P25-1,2, and 3

I found it interesting that the 53 Cambridge club coupe is 1954 is called a club sedan and the high line Cranbrook ws the club coupe. The rear window vent makes the difference. The 53 business coupe does not have the rear vent nor rear seat...in 54 these bodies were better defined across the lineup of all three groups..

There is so much to learn about the subtle differences and no great source for research unless you just lucky enough to have access to all the different models to compare.

The difference between the club sedan and the club coupe is more than the rear vent window. The club sedan uses the longer 4-door sedan roof line and thus the passenger compartment is longer. Which is why there is enough room for a vent window.

In the U.S. the club sedan was available as a Cambridge in 1953 and the club coupe as a Cranbrook. For 1954 the club sedan was available in both the Plaza and Savoy and the club coupe only as a Savoy.

By the way, the club sedan and business coupe were not built in Canada, only the club coupe which was available in all series but the Belvedere in both years. The business coupe was a club coupe without the rear seat and with a stationary rear quarter window.

The complete 1953-54 line up in the U.S. -

Cambridge / Plaza : 4-dr sedan, club sedan, business coupe, suburban

Cranbrook : 4-dr sedan, club coupe, hardtop, suburban, convertible

Savoy : 4-dr sedan, club sedan, club coupe

Belvedere (1954) : 4-dr sedan, hardtop, suburban, convertible

For Canada :

Cambridge / Plaza : 4-dr sedan, club coupe, suburban

Cranbrook (early) : 4-dr sedan, club coupe, hardtop, suburban

Cranbrook (late) : 4-dr sedan, club coupe, suburban

Savoy : 4-dr sedan, club coupe, suburban

Belvedere (late 1953 & 1954) : 4-dr sedan, hardtop

The Canadian Dodge versions were the same as Plymouth using Crusader, Regent and Mayfair names in both years. Chrysler of Canada imported the Plymouth club sedan, business coupe and convertible in both years and the Mayfair convertible in 1954.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Again Bill, good data..I knew the differences in the roof lines but the Canadian data is always refreshing to know. I pretty much and getting the feeling that finding a set of skirts may be slim to none for my club coupe.

[Plymouthy Adams]

couple other interesting notes on the 54 as I was working the body...the left and rear quarter where the stainless rock guard mounts, the left side had two extra holes in the panel on the drivers side verse that of the passenger side. (this body has never been wrecked or repaired) The length of the rear trim is only 1/4 inch difference between a 4 door and a club coupe and the 4 door had a tang and screw that mount it to the inside of the door opening. (note..this can be trimmed off and used on a 2 door car if you like.) The Plaza series with the rubber rock guard has even more different holes that the coupe and the sedan. This piece noes not have a rear trim extension. The other rock guards do have trim extensions, the two door coupe and the 2 door wagon will not interchange, the curve at the rear of the guards do not match. The wagon specific stainless piece has a shorter rear trim extension than the coupe rock guard also. This makes the rear spear also too short from the sedan coupe as the curve was just not right at the end. The club coupe being a two door compared to the 2 door wagon is different in this area as the parts will not interchange and fit the contour of the fender. I admit that I did not try to see if the rear curve of the four door piece would fit a two door even knowing that it is a two piece unit..guess that is why I did not bother to check in this area.

Between Lou and myself (mostly Lou) we had a number of vehicles and trim pieces to check for possible interchanging of parts..at the time I bought my replacement right rock guard I must admit to blind luck because at the time I did not know there were two different 2 door models on the market. It is only the recnet aquirement of the skirts that has me looking back into what does and does not intechange in the rear...the front of the cars I do not think is a problem on interchange of trim and such. Addition of a hole here or there to upgrade to the higher model trim is all that is required. Lou finially got the correct high line stainless rock guards that match the wagon, Belvedere I would assume, the matching rear spears also..so again, there are differences that a casual look would not catch.