Ideas for tailgate upgrades anyone ?

[wutnxt]

I am looking for ideas for tailgate latches/hinges/cables for my prostreet truck. But it needs to be...

1) Clean looking.......
2) Leave the tailgate looking mostly original
3) I am prepared to loose the chains.
4) Tailgate must open in a down postion
5) It's a truck so the tailgate has to be able to hold a couple of people sitting on it

So I am thinking of taking the chains off and fill the hole left,use a cable,rod,hinge,acuator or spring to let the gate down and hold the gate in place up or down.It needs to in the down postion support a couple of people and a cooler of beer....lol. So i would really like to know whats been done or whats avaliable......