So has anyone ever fixed the cracks in the dash wood ? They seem to be very common here in AZ and was wondering if anyone tried to sand it smooth and then recoat it with clear.

 

Never tried repairing them, but sections occasionally appear on UK eBay. I bought a three-dial centre panel a year ago for about $100.

 

Your best bet is a professional repair. Try Automotive Wood Restoration or British Autowood | Dashboard and Woodwork Restoration

 

There are local woodworker hobbyist clubs here who can work their magic with any automotive wood trim you dare to bring them. Most of these guys spent decades in high-end woodworking and cabinetry jobs and are now retired. They have every industrial woodworking tool known to man in their home shops. They enjoy the challenge and usually wind up doing these repairs at cost if you're nice to them and bring them doughnuts or beer. The quality of their work is astounding....

I would bet that every major city has a collaboration of these guys. Google "woodworking hobbyists clubs" along with your city and see what turns up....

 

+1
Check in at your local Woodcraft store (woodcraft.com), there are usually several clubs that check in at a store. Checking in with guys at the store will probably give you a good lead to the best of the best.

 

Is it just the varnish cracked, or has the wood broken?

 

As a new member a bit of advice, try to find the most recent post on 'any problem' first, this one is 4 years old and the OP may or may not still be using the site. I'd read the older ones for they hold a great source of information, just you may or maynot get a response from the OP. Some of the respondents above though are still active.

 

Most factory finishes are a resin with UV protectant and repairing it is difficult to do. in most situations you will need to remove the resin and do a refinish that requires many steps.

 

I had many cracks in the finish of my XJ6 drivers door trim and was not willing to go through the work of stripping and refinishing all the trim so that the color would match.

Instead I filled the cracks with super glue, doing it several times to be certain the glue was above the level of the finish. I then sanded to get a smooth surface and used acrylic lacquer clear coat applied with my Harbor Freight detailing gun.

After three coats with 400 wet between coats I finished with 2000 wet and hand polished.

When the sun is at a particular angle the original cracks can be observed as a slight discoloration, but under most conditions they are invisible.