How would I go about giving wood and "aged" look?

In this short amount of time you are going to have to faux it or stain age it, this is really going to be tricky because if you want it to look a certain way naturally the faux finish will cause you some troubles as it ages. I would try to use some type of a waterborne wiping stain with no sealer and use a bit of artful blending to achieve my colors and look, if you can choose the colors according to what your wood will eventually look like the transition from color stained to naturally patinized will be less noticeable,the process happens faster on unsanded wood, as sanded will close the grain and reduce surface area. Also by not using a seal over the stain you will not get a check or peel of the sealer. Your only concern would be to wash the boards well before placing on the vehicle as unsealed boards may color wash onto other surfaces leaving spots of stain. For the hardware I heat it very hot, not hot enough to damage it and quench it in salt water.

 

Call Mark Halaby at Halaby restoration in Lake Forest CA. I've seen him make new cabinets look like they're 100 years old .

 

Brew up some tea and rub the teabags or tea on it also. Works real well.

 

^ You can use gardeners peat moss, make a tea out of it, has nice tannins for this, it will darken the wood. Let it sit out in a bucket over night.