Good questions and points indeed. For my part, I am a big believer in the effects of heat cycling and age on polymers and plastics. Most of the people who commented about the broken area claimed that the plastic felt brittle and almost useless. Once heat and age embrittle a material, it becomes less flexible and so internal stresses are far greater in a dynamic environment. No wonder these things break.
Plain English - I agree with you, why not an all-aluminum fix? What a class design flaw these plastic radiators are for the V-8s.

ghead
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Eric S.</span>
2006 Honda Odyssey EXL-RES
2006 Honda Accord V6 EX-L Sedan
1999 BMW 540i 6-Speed (Sold to M3UOND on 9/21/06)
1991 Honda Civic Si - Occasional Beater