Batboard

Before I go and rip apart two perfectly good radios, figured I should ask. I have a 99 channel low band MT1000 that is only used on 1 or 2 channels. I've also got a 16 channel VHF MT1000. What would it take to swap the parts and get a 99 channel VHF and a 16 channel low band? Can this even be done?

I wondered the same thing.
I wanted to go the other way, make 32 ch lowband out of 99 ch VHF.
So I started comparing the components in the manual.
The Lowband controller board pinouts to the other flex boards like the freq select buttons, vol pot, etc. are very different than the VHF / UHF board.
I didn't do an exhaustive search, but it appeared to me that too many parts would not match up.
Then I found a 32 ch lowband and gave up the idea.

I suppose we could talk about a trade, my VHF for your lowband.
But then you would need to pick up another lowband MT or P200.

Is this why you never see a 16 channel low band MT1000? They're usually 6 channel or 99 channel; I have never seen a 16 channel low band, nor have I seen a 6 channel high or UHF band.

According to the manual there were only 6 ch or 32 ch in lowband.
Some of the 32 ch I have seen did 99 ch.
The manual does not list 6 ch in VHF or UHF.
So it appears the choices were:
6 or 32 in lowband
8, 16 or 99 in VHF and UHF.
All the P200's that I have seen in lowband were 6 ch also.
I never really noticed this before.

The 32 channel radio uses the same top plate/ display as the 99 channel. IIR

The controller board must be different.. IIR

Exactly.
I have read that people have found 99 ch controllers in 32 channel lowband radios.
I am betting that was a case of factory substitution when they ran out of 32 ch controllers.