I also finally got around to pulling the gauge cluster out and blacking out the various warning lights that I've accrued over the years (7?). I'm sick of them blinding me at night.
built an impromptu rack in the Lowes parking lot to haul some 4x8 paneling. basically just used a few lag bolts to sandwich the roof bars between two 2x4s on each side. it's crooked as heck but worked like a charm.
I've seen a few MJs that Chrysler still owns and so far that one is not among them. not even in the super secret storage building where I found the ThunderChief.
you might need to seek out a Toyota forum for a real in-depth discussion on the new-vs-old debate. Reliability is key since it's practically impossible to repair these new rigs without a dealership's computer.