Are new aluminum radiators better?

Did you have to alter anything or were they plug and play radiators, like exact replacements?

Plug and play...used to be called muscle car rad...looked original when painted satin black. The first one had big 1/2 " tig welds.The second one (3 yrs later) had tiny tig welds and was very nice.
I must not have been the only one that complained.
Expensive!