My 1953 push button handle has a formed strike plate. Pictures attached!
Lots of things got changed by backyard mechanics on these trucks over the decades, including doors, strikers, bodies - even titles. Is your 53 really a 53 or did it get retitled sometime in its life due to a cab change? Perhaps this is the reason you're having problems. You mentioned that at one point the door stuck shut and you were unable to open it from the inside. This is a very typical condition of mismatched latches and strikers. It happened to me too, until I modified my striker plates so my 49 cab would accept 52 doors.
