I found a clean complete monte dash, including harnes and fuse box, for next to nothing.
What all is involved in swapping this out with my sweep dash???

Thanks

oil pressure sensor and water temperature sensor will need to be changed for starters if your sweep dash didn't have gauges.

Quick answer - swap dash, cluster, and under dash wire harness. Add 2 wires for amp gauge to forward harness or replace with new one set up for optional gagues. Run tach wire through firewall to coil. Do a search, this topic has been discussed many times. No need to change the oil sensor, there is no oil gauge in the SS or Monte gauge clusters.

Does the Monte dash have a wood grain?

All of them do.

Do a search for "SS Dash". Tons of info and not very difficult to do.

the monte dash must be a 70 if your chevelle is a 70 cause the fuse blocks in 70-71-72 are all different from what i have been told so the easiest way is put a 70 dash in a 70 car 71 in a 71 etc..

Does the Monte dash have a wood grain?

I have a monte SS dash in my 71, its black, but I'm sure because the monte wood looking face is removable..

From what I've heard the Monte dashes were all of woodgrain and the woodgrain could be removed but it'll leave holes in the dash where the woodgrain attaches to.

70/71 under dash harnesses are interchangable. 72 is very different and it not a good candidate for 70/71. It can be done but would have to re-pin the bulkhead connectors.

From what I've heard the Monte dashes were all of woodgrain and the woodgrain could be removed but it'll leave holes in the dash where the woodgrain attaches to.

Only the 1970 Monte dashes have holes from the woodgrain

The 71 dash harness will work with a 70, the 72 will need to be heavily modified to work with a 70, ask me how I know....

I just started pulling apart a monte dash for my conversion. The monte wood grain has tabs that fit into slots around the perimeter, and are then folded over to hold it in place (along with some dumdum). If you're keeping everything otherwse, It's up to you how noticeable it would be. Mine has a huge hack where the radio was, and is too far past saveable, so I'm getting a whole new carrier. Shiftworks has a tach convrsion to replace clock, and some new knobs, duct deflectors, and lenses, and I should be OK for now.

I have a 71 dash from a monte carlo with the white letter and numbers and its drilled for the faceplate. Jim

The Dash is supposed to be out of 72 monte and it has the harness, but.... it does not have any holes in the dash from the wood grain, so it may be from a chevelle and the guy just doesn;t know it.
I wanted to check with you guys first before I tore my dash apart. Plus I may just convert it to autometers. As soon as I pick it up I'll post pics and let you see what I found.

If it has the seat belt light, you are correct, there will be no holes in the face. There will be a few small slits around the edges that can be filled with epoxy and painted and you will never know they're there. Im also pretty sure that the 72 harness will not work with the firewall connection of your 70. The harness can be modified with some work, but your right, the autometers may be easier to install. I intalled a 72 monte dash in my 72 malibu and it was very straight forward, plus I think the 70-72 round gauge dash is the best looking muscle car dash ever. I wouldnt trade it for any Autometer setup.

The 71 dash harness will work with a 70, the 72 will need to be heavily modified to work with a 70, ask me how I know....

Does this apply for Chevelles and El Caminos as well?

So 70/71 are interchangable and '72 is in a world of it's own eh?

I have a '71 in NEED of a sweep dash, so if anyone has a 70/71 in decent shape, please let me know... Thanks. I don't mind the Monte Carlo "holes" at all...