NNewcomb wrote on Aug 9^th, 2011 at 3:28pm:

minus the engines, cockpit, and some model differences.

You make it sound quite a bit different there. I know that the Boeing 717 was originally designed and marketed as the MD-95, before Boeing bought them out, so I guess there must be quite a few similarities with the MD-80 series.
But this Topic is about the MD-80, not the B717. ;)

Mark