No offense intended, but if the only thing you can see wrong with the B737 'classic' is the overhead panel, then you need better glasses!
The fact that Boeing went ahead with building the NG with many of the same dangerous features of the -3/500 series is complete and perfect evidence for the 'tombstone imperative' explained in Andrew Weir's book (this, by the way, is a 'must read' for the aviation professional - and God forbid that people who travel down the back should read and understand it in large numbers).
The fact that the FAA allowed Boeing to get away with certificating the NG shows that the FAA cares not one jot about safety, and is only mindful of economics.
This is a disgrace to our profession, and it's beyond time that we, as pilots, stood firm for safe aircraft, safe flight decks, and safe cockpit procedures and philosophies - and that means an enlightened attitude towards CRM rather than the 'man and boy' approach advocated by Boeing.
The fact that we are not standing firm serves to ensure the continued degradation of our profession.
I am, incidentally, deadly serious about this.