I’m a big fan of good patina on a hot rod, truck, or even some race cars, but sometimes you need to distress a part in order to make it look like it fits. This is especially true when talking about putting lettering on your shop truck, because if it looks new and perfect then it just doesn’t fit the look and feel. In this video from the gang at Rustomod you are going to see them paint some custom lettering on the door fo their cool C10 project, and then work them over to make them look like they should be there on this roughly painted and patina truck.

I have some cool old looking pinstriping and lettering on the tailgate of my 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon and can tell you that it took real work to make it look right when I had it done years and years ago. The guy that did it used baby powder in the One Shot lettering enamel to make it look dull and a bit splotchy, and also used a bunch of other techniques. It turned out awesome, but has been sitting the in the elements for nearly 20 years and it definitely harder to see now. This only adds to the look, and makes it look so genuine like it was really old lettering and we love it.

Check out the video below from Rustomod and try out these techniques on an old door or fender or hood so you can get your skills all dialed in before working on your own ride. Or be confident and get after it!