This Is Another One of Those "Why Did GM Do This?" Posts, But...
 

Why on God's green Earth in the 7th generation, did they make the driver's side A/C vent bezel silver, but leave the passenger side one piece with the dash pad, and thus still black?

IDK to make the driver feel like he had his own zone? I had to look up what you are talking about.

Well, the driver should feel more special...

Because the passenger side is the same as the previous generation, but the driver side was modified.

You don't say..

So if I found a 6th gen passenger side with a MC logo or script I can put that on instead?

Speaking of "why did GM do this"?, in the 7th gen there are no references to Monte Carlo in the passenger compartment except for the rocker panel covers - and those are hidden when the door is shut.

Interesting; Time to head to the junkyard and try it out.

BTW, you look like that actor Ron Perlman from this angle (assuming the profile picture is you)

Yeah, when I compare my 2000, to my father's 2006, the whole passenger side assembly appears to be the same shape

(not my photos, but here is what I mean)

http://static.usnews.rankingsandrevi..._dashboard.jpg

http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/49238603.jpg

You can see from these photos, it appears that the whole top of the dash is the same, they just kind of modified it for the 06/07 on the driver's side

I like the clean interior look of the 2006 but the exterior of the 2000 more. Although I will note I like the steering wheel on the 2000 a bit more than the 2006.

Cost reasons. Mid to late 2000s, prior to their 09 bankruptcy, was that time when GM was trying to consolidate and save money every way they could and you saw it across all their brands and models.

It would have cost more to add another silver bezel to that passenger side vent. There's other little things here and there too... The 2006-07s only have one hood strut compared to the 2000-05s that have two. 2005-07s don't have the horizontal door bumper guard down the sides of the car. 2006-07s were very similar to the Impala in many ways, including engine, drivetrain, suspension, interior components and wore basically the same front end using the exact same headlights and upper grill as the Impala. GM didn't have to make the 2006 Monte Carlo as similar to the Impala as they did, and they could have completely redone the car instead of mildly refreshing it for 2006, but for cost reasons they did. Eliminate unnecessary parts and tooling to save money.

Only if by "front end" you don't include "front fenders" and "front bumper cover." Also, my SS only has the same "upper grill" as an Impala if that Impala is the LTZ. Also, as far as interior components, the dashboard ("ta daa!) and console are entirely different, except for the A/C and radio.

However, the two interior pics provided confirm what I suspected--the passenger dash pad IS different--the area where the nameplate used to be was flattened, now it's curved and the same as the rest (thank you, Barovelli). So, circling back to the original question, if they spent money to change that tiny detail, why not also change the bezel?