Aged tire

[fatkidd]

What would be the procedure to age a tire to make it look like a spare that has sat in a trunk for the life of the car?

Sorry for the long-winded question.

[Jantrix]

As long as the trunk doesn't leak, it should look brand new, right? Or try a dust of grey primer and then smear the paint so it doesn't look like its been painted.

That's how I did the tires in my trailer.

[Casey]

It will depends upon whether or not it was ever used (or used for too long), as well as the condition of the trunk/vehicle. It can vary wildly, so match it to the condition of the vehicle as best you can.

If it's never been used the tread should be crisp and you might even want to leave a tiny bit of flash present on the tread area, if there's some present. Leaky trunk? The bottom/backside will be rust stained, especially the rim area. Most of the rust on spares kept in a well is of the "very bright" variety, meaning the rust color will be much more orange than reddish-brown, but again, it will vary, and nobody's going to call you out on it anyway.