I am with gleff on the idea of revisiting stagnant forums. Not all ideas work.
From a user-interface standpoint, I'm very happy with FT and would not make wholesale changes, lest it impact the technical stability or speed of the operation. And, if those changes are proposed during my tenure on the Talkboard, I'd seek the input of the HOM and Internet Brands folks who have responsibility for running the site, to ensure that any proposed changes don't negatively impact the speed or stability of the site.
I am actually a fan of the minimalist feature set that FT currently employs: it emphasizes the quality of content over the presentation (bells and whistles and such), which I believe is part of what makes FT the incredibly valuable resource that it is.
Why mess with what works?