Hello fellow forum members!

I am a wankel rotary enthusiast, and therefore a glutton for punishment. So naturally when I come into the market for an inexpensive (to buy) mid size sport utility, I quickly decided that the w163 was the right vehicle for me. I have been lurking for quite some time, acquiring bits of information to educate myself on what I'd be getting into. These glorified Chryslers may have their fair share of problems, but compared to a Tahoe or expedition (which are a bit larger), I feel that the w163 is the least of all the evils I was looking at.
I currently own an FC3S Mazda RX-7 GXL Turbo (I did the engine swap last July), and a 2001.5 vw Beetle GLX 1.8t. The Beetle, while a great little car (safe, very well refined, good materials, and a fantastic engine), just doesn't cut it. The cargo space is not that great, obviously it cannot do any towing, and the shape is just plain embarrassing.. Needless to say, I'm over it, and my need for a winter car will be over soon.
These days, however, I do find myself wishing that I could tow a small car on a trailer, or at least a tow dolly. Off road capabilities would be nice to have, and let's be honest.. The w163 has a certain charm in the way it looks. Very utilitarian, with hints of refinement.

I realize they are not known for their reliability.. But neither are rotary powered Mazdas. I find that these vicious urban myths are the result of consumer neglect and therefore I am not really deterred by the laundry list of common problems with these suvs.

I am however a little curious, and very crazy when it comes to the silliest of details. I'll start off easy..

Wheels. Personally, I feel the 16" 320 wheels are the best looking, and have a strong desire to use them. However, I am unsure if a 320 will really provide me with the oomph I am looking for, and question long distance towing capability when there are grades involved. I would like to try and find a 430, or a 500, but it appears that the 16's may not agree with the larger brakes of those models.. Am I wrong? I feel like I've seen some early 430's running 320 16's... As if some less well equipped 430's exist with the standard 320 braking system. I'm hoping that someone can shed some more light on this.

The headlamps.. The later projector headlamps really ruin the look of the nose, in my opinion. In researching this, it appears to me that the lamp assemblies themselves will fit from 98-05 with no issues, just the wiring is slightly different to account for the separation of the dip and full beams. I don't really care about light output of the early fluted headlamps as I can supplement with carefully mounted, *proper* bi-xenon projectors elsewhere on the front end to make up for their inadequacies.

How picky are the computer modules throughout the car? Is there a canbus line that would prevent the easy installation of aftermarket audio?

How about additional transmission cooling to help prevent damage during towing?

These are just a few questions.. I have many, but I'm still working on finding my own answers to them.

Thanks y'all

 

Aftermarket audio is easily installable. Transmission has its cooler. The radiator cools tranny fluid.
500 has 17" wheels. They are great.
Buy a 500 & it will come with Xenons.
They are great cars. Look after it & it will be very reliable