Reply to "Radiators?"

Aluminum radiators work fine, and there are two basic types: all-welded and partly welded with epoxy seals. Do not use the epoxy ones; tey are unrepairable while the all welded ones can be fixed. There are no secret alloys in OEM rads. The 'reliability' problem stems from corrosive local water in many areas. Corvettes and Z-28s have had aluminum rads since the early '80s and all aluminum engines since the late '90s and those guys have low warranty claims. THey also use sacrificial anodes of zinc or magnesium in their upper tanks. Most Fluidyne rads are now sold with a bottle of No-Rosion to keep your local tap water at bay.
One thing you can check (which is kind of fun), is your Pantera's 'local action'. Take a good VOM, set it on the lowest voltage range and ground one probe while sticking the other in your surge tank's water. A reading of more than 70 millivolts indicates you have what amounts to a small battery in your cooling system chewing away at anything that will dissolve. You desperately need a sacrificial anode, distilled water, No-Rosion or all three! But you'll need a really good VOM; a $9.95 one from Autozone will show nothing.
FWIW, mine shows 40 millivolts with that test and I run an aluminum rad, cylinder heads, waterpump and an oil-to-water heat exchanger with 50% Prestone antifreeze, and change it yearly. All those alloy parts have been in our car approaching 20 years without dissolving. I also have an aluminum engine block that will soon join the other light-alloy parts, with no worries. You just gotta understand what you're dealing with.