TireSpin,
I once used thin (1/32”) balsa to create a wooden undercarriage and trunk compartment for a ’32 Ford. I found that using any standard wood stain such as Minwax stain works great. This wood stain can be found at any hardware or even Meijer stores. As for the gloss look, I would use a high quality varnish or polyurethane. Basswood is another possible choice for wood. It is very similar to balsa but it is much more dense. Staining basswood is much easier. Also you may want to try mixing the stain with the polyurethane/varnish and simply paint a few coats on the wood until the desired shade is achieved. I hope this gets you started in the right direction.
Good Luck
,
Jason
PS-If you find a different way of achieving the effect please let us all know. Also I would like to see photos of the finished product.