REO Rear Seat/Composite Body Care

[Carroll_1]

I recently acquired this REO rear seat section. Once I got it home I discovered it's a composite, sometimes called paper-mache, body, which dates it to 1912.  I gave it a quick initial cleaning to remove the straw and hornets nests, and then cleaned the leather with Lexol cleaner.  Now I'm using Lexol leather conditioner to begin bringing the leather back.  But I'm unsure of how to proceed with the exterior body.  So far, I've blown the dust and cobwebs, and lightly wiped it with a damp rag.   I hope the attached photo shows that the surface is rough with brush marks and some chipping.  I'd appreciate any guidance on how to best preserve this finish.  Even the light wipe with damp rag made me nervous.  My goal is to preserve it,  and maybe later use it on one of the REO chassis' I'm working on.  Does anyone have experience with these composite bodies?