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In all my decades with '51 to '54 Packards, I've never found an issue using a radio from one to the other - as long as the proper bezel is used. As Kev said, the dash can handle any of them but the bezel differs between the standard and signal-seeking models with the latter being wider. I have '51, '52 and '54 Patrician dashes on the wall of my shop so I'll double check but I think that all have the slots.

Did they use different dashes for the Patricians vs the lower models? My '51 200 dash does not have the slots. I'm pretty sure the '52 deluxe also did not have slots.

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Other than a 1953 Clipper, I've never had any Packard of the era that wasn't a Patrician.

I think all of the knob locations are the same for 51-54. It is the tuning(s) that may make the difference in the opening in your dash.
For 51 there was:
Manual tuning- no pushbuttons or wonderbar
Manual tuning and button select(black)
Manual tuning and chrome wonderbar select- no buttons
52
same as above but supposedly no wonderbar offered
53-54
Manual tuning- no buttons or wonderbar
manual tuning and button select(chrome pushbuttons)
Manual tuning with chrome pushbuttons and wonderbar

The addition of both wonderbar and pushbuttons meant enlarging the middle radio hole in the dash.

I wasnt happy with the previous A/C control box I made. So I went and box some 24ga and bent up a new one. The Control Bezel is a proto type. Once I get it how I want it I will have it engraved and polished. The box will get painted dash color.

Basically it a paper template onto the metal. Cut our with shears, and the bent into a box and riveted together. The bezel is a piece of 1/8 aluminum that was drilled with a large step bit and then stamped with the letters. Not happy with the bezel just yet so probably will make a new one, and then have the letters engraved instead of crudely stamped like I have it now.

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Looks great! Are you installing this over the steering column where the original was?

On the radio dash opening issue, now that I am at my shop in Oregon I see that I misspoke. I measured a couple dashes as:

1952 Patrician 4 5/8"; knobs 6 3/4" center to center
1954 Patrician 6"; slotted knob openings 7" to 7 3/4" center to center approximately

I have both Wonderbar and non-Wonderbar radios here if additional measurements are needed. Both of my 1954 Patricians have Wonderbar and so did my 1953 Clipper Deluxe.

Kev, what did you decide to do with the center knob. Is it just going to be on/off or are you going to try to work in some kind of thermostat.

Howard it's just an on/off single position pull knob. The fan knobs are two position off/low/high. All are H. Cole knobs.

I do have an adjustable thermal switch, which I think I can use to set a turn on or off temp.