Dash pad Help!!!!

[realMcCoy]

My old dash pad on my 92 Camaro has about a 1000 cracks in it. So i got another dash pad from e-bay.
What can I do to help protect this one from cracking? The car is now kept in my garage and when outside I use a window shade.
Is there any kind of cleaner or oil I can use to keep it from cracking? and would geting a mat to go over it help any?( I don't really like the way a mat looks but I don't like paying $90 for a dash pad either)

Thanks for any and all help

[FANTA-Z]

Keep Armor all or something similar on it. I have used baby oil on my t-top gaskets to keep them from getting brittle and cracking so that might even work as well.