The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Interior Question for '54

I was just given a truck that I've desired since I was a kid. My dad's cousin purchased his 1954 3100 1/2 ton brand new in 1953, and has used it regularly since then. It is all stock, with the exception of the turn signals he added in the late 50's. It's been garage kept, and has been painted a couple of times, in the original color.

It's a dream come true for me, and I want to keep it original. I've done my searching around the net and on this site, but haven't found the answer to two questions. Forgive me if the answers were obviously available!

1. Was the headliner made of cardboard in '54, and if the interior is beige with a brown seat, what color should the headliner be? I want to order an original type, but I'm not seeing any color in the catalogs that are matching what's in the truck now.

2. The door panels have been worn through. If the seat is brown, were the door panels brown, also?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any help

Probably brown and brown. Is it a Deluxe cab? It sounds like you have a 2-tone interior.

Original 54 interior colors were beige and brown for all regular production models except Suburban Carryall, which had a two-tone gray and maroon. The Deluxe equipment option also used the two-tone gray/maroon.

The headliners matched the interior paint color (beige), and the door panels matched the seats (brown). Jim Carter's sells replacements in the original colors.

Thanks for the information! Jim Carter's is one catalog I haven't gotten to yet.

John

Ah, yet another reason to love GMCs...they got about 4 different two-tone interiors for '54.

GMC is right about the variety of GMC interior colors, but Chevy was not far behind. Regular interior (Pearl Beige and Brown), Deluxe Equipment option interior (Pulsar Gray and Gray/Maroon), and two, two-tone Deluxe Cab option (Blue and White; and, Green and White).

As Xram53 said, Jim Carter's has the widest selection of cardboard panels and frames and should be fine for your colors. His 1954 seat upholstery for deluxe (maroon/gray) is not correct (his is just maroon) and he does not have maroon cardboard door/side panels (used in the Carryall Suburban; not sure if they were used in the Deluxe Equipment option pickup).

Also, Jim Carter's stainless steel frames for the door cardboard do not fit the cardboard (and some screw holes were in the wrong location in some cardboard I received from him). I had other problems with his cardboard headliner (cut too small) but it was for the '54 Suburban.

Tim

I did receive and install brown door panels today from Classic. They seem to be about half as thick as the originals, and had to be trimmed a bit to fit just right. They also didn't carry the buttons to replace the old ones. Half of them snapped off, even though I tried easing them out. But, they're a great improvement over the condition of the originals.

I guess Carter's has a website. I'll look to it for the headliner.

Thanks again.

John

Jim Carter Classic Truck Parts

Chevy Duty Truck Parts

Tim,

Thanks for the links; wished I'd seen the Jim Carter stuff first. He has door panels listed that fit the description of the originals I replaced (thicker, deeper grain.)

The ones I installed do look rather cheap and thin. I guess I'll have to order some new ones; good thing they're cheap!

I also noticed they've got the correct color sunvisors too. Y'all have been a great help.

--John

The 2 tone color combos mentioned were exterior. They actually used 2 different shades of blue or green on the interior on the optional 2 tone interior. Dash top, door window frames,steeringwheel and collar were the darker color and the lighter shade was used elsewhere in the interior.

Greg,

Thanks for the correction/clarification.

I was referring to the seat covers and I have only seen one Deluxe Cab '54 Chevy 1/2 ton - it had 18,000 original miles on it. I looked at this truck briefly, once, over 10 years ago (before I knew about the Deluxe Cab option). I was more interested in the chrome grill (and how it was painted) than I was in the interior (which was pristine). The memory fades (sometimes faster than colors fade) . . .

On the green Deluxe Cab interior, were the seat covers dark-green/light-green or were they green/white (or some other color)? What were the colors of the door panels and headliners (the lighter green)? Does Jim Carter sell all the paints, covers, and cardboard for these interiors?

Mowog54, Sorry about taking this a little off your topic.

Thanks,
Tim

From the November, 1953 issue of "Chevrolet Service News", which covers the upcoming 1954 truck features, there is a paragraph about the Deluxe equipment, which became available again in '54 after being discontinued for a while. Regarding the two-tone interior, it says: "A two-tone interior color combination of gray and maroon is used on all except panel models. Gray paint is applied on the instrument panel, garnish moldings, door lower panel, and cowl side kick panel. Seats are trimmed in leather fabric with gray cushion and backrest and maroon facings." So technically it is just the seats that were two-tone. There's no mention of the door panels, but I would think they would match the seats. There's also no mention of any other two-tone combos.

Greg, when did the blue/green combos come in the trucks? I know these colors were available in the cars. Were they an addition later in the truck model year?

Jim Carter's does list blue and green interior paints. For seat covers, he only lists a bright blue (probably not two-tone) in addition to the brown and maroon. For headliners, he only lists gray and beige for 54.

I'm just tryin' to learn here. All this stuff can get confusing at times with different sources saying different things.

I should have looked at this more closely. The '54 resto pack has a list of the Regular Production Options, with revisions from 5/1/54. There were two new deluxe equipment options added sometime mid-model year: RPO 430 for models 3103-04-05, 3603-04-08, and 3805, and RPO 431 for models 3803-04-08. The original RPO 390 was reduced to 4000, 5000, 6000 series cab models and 3106-16 Carryalls. There is still no mention of the available colors, though.

I wish I could answer the question of seat covers but mine was changed as an anniversary present to my dad when I was very young. I have no idea what original upholstery looked like. See if this helps on inreior paint scheme though. My project patiently waits

Dear Tim,

No problem with the direction of the string; I've learned a lot. In fact, this may need to be a new post, but I'm curious if anyone has looked at Greg's great photos that he posted in this string.

Does anyone know what color his truck is? It's the same as mine, and for the life of me, I can't find any clarification on exterior colors. It's a light blue; is this Mariner Blue?

Thanks!

John

Was trying to find documentation of 2 tone interiors. It eludes me right now. Jim Carter was first I saw to address it but now Chevy Duty does also. Headliner is painted light blue on mine to match lighter shade. Vent window trim is chrome, Mine has no arm rests but I can't say that one hasn't been removed when seats and door panels were recovered in the 60s. Even the horn button has blue paint instead of the black to match steering wheel and collar in the darker shade.

For clarification, I meant to say ask regarding the exterior color of Greg's truck.

--John

It is an incorrect shade of transport blue. On the bottom side of the hood in grease pencil is written "transport" I studied the firewall and felt the original color was a touch too green to be transport blue but those I have talked to that would know tell me that is the way that color reacts under the hood. I plan on taking it back to the correct shade in the near future. and also with the "bombay ivory" top which a lot of people don't really care for but I always liked the looks of it.

OK. So, my research only shows that there was only one shade of "light" blue for 54, so mine must be Transport Blue also.

As far as names go, you'd think that the darker color would be Transport, and the lighter Mariner. :confused:

Greg, thanks for the help.

--John

According to Jim Carter's, Mariner is one of the darker shades of blue, and Transport is a medium blue.

If any of you haven't seen this already (and if you're still interested), Carter's catalog has a separate section for deluxe cab interior items, which I missed the first couple of times I looked at the catalog online (I don't have a print copy). It explains that in mid-54, four different two-tone interior packages were made available. See this catalog page and the next.

If the blue and green are two two-tone combos, and the gray/maroon is a third, what is the fourth??? Did the buyer have a choice of interior colors, or was the interior dictated by the choice of exterior color to insure coordination?

I would assume that Factory chose the interior color to match exterior if you sprung for the option. I will search sales data book again tonight and see if I can find the option listing. I have had my truck for many years and never realized the 2 tone interior was anything special.

There is a color option 438 that says "Two Tone (Deluxe only)" I don't know if that refers to exterior (White top) or interior. Section 8 page 6 shows RPO 438 and 439 for more info on 2 tone exterior No. 234 color combinations for Truck models. OK Section 8 page 15 shows RPO 430 and 431 2 tone interior that harmonizes with exterior cab color.Stainless steel windshield and side window reveals, Chrome plated Ventipane frames, Right hand sunshade, Left hand armrest, cigarette lighter,twin tone horn and rear-corner windows are also included. The two-tone interior color is determined by the cab extewrior color