170 for 225 SWAP - '62 VALIANT

Excellent background, thanks. So, you're saying that aluminum 225s are not particularly rare, that they were normal production equipment for a while. How long did that continue and did it apply to all assembly plants? Other than scratching through the grease and paint, is there an easy way to identify an aluminum block engine?

I don't suppose the material itself had a direct effect on power output but it could have improved the car's handling, with less front weight bias. As usual, they were probably discontinued because of cost but did they also have any reliability issues? I hate to use the word "Vega" here, however, that was many people's first adventure with aluminum engines.