I'd say you made the right choice. I finally got the real specs of the $69 one, and it isn't good. They are priced cheap for more than one reason. A well-made Europa three row aluminum radiator will have at least a 3-1/2" or thicker shell with a 3" thick core (same as original), which also gives room for their wider flow tubes.
Turns out my previously posted guesses for the for $69 version dimensions, identified by fan strap mount design and just 3" overall thickness (not the 3.5" they claim), were very close. Actual core is less than 2" thick, recessed into the shell by 5/8" on both sides. Compare that to just 1/4" recess or less on a good 3 1/2" aluminum three-rows on eBay. That also means this $69 one will have smaller flow tubes of 1/2" OD each or less to space three within a 2" core, each with a smaller ID, so less thermal transfer area.
Now factor in established 40% reduced thermal transfer of efficiency of aluminum compared to copper in the original. The Europa original copper cores I checked on two units were very close to 3" (outer shell were 3 1/2"). Comparing overall thermal transfer efficiency, the $69 units are well below half the performance of original copper radiator: 67% of core width times 60% of thermal transfer efficiency = 40%, or a 1.2" copper equivalent performance.
You are unfortunately going to take a hit with aluminum's lesser thermal transfer, so make sure the core is as thick as original. Then add a Spal pusher fan, not some poor performing China pancake, and make sure the fan is perimeter sealed so it all goes into the radiator, not just spill across the face of the radiator and recirculate inside the nose of the car to simply preheat incoming air.
We've already set new record highs this year in Fargo, Dallas, Springfield, Phoenix, OK City, New York, London, Paris, and more. Depending on where you live, which better be well above the 49th parallel, I'd not want one of the $69 ones into a car with a history of marginal cooling or worse in elevated ambient temps.
