[franken]

People are all excited about aluminum radiators but aluminum conducts heat less well than brass and copper. The tubes in AL rads are also larger, which in my tiny mind means less coolant in contact w/ the metal and therefore less cooling.

This is much like the mini-starter trend. Car makers are under pressure from the government to reduce emissions and increase mileage. They're also always trying to spend less. More plastic, and other light materials may reduce the bloated weight of a vehicle, but that doesn't make the parts more efficient or better.

I'd use an original style radiator, shroud and clutch fan with a stock temp thermostat, and work from there..