What metal is this thing made of?

[Calamity Jake]

More likely polished and sealed , no one is going to spend the money to plate aluminum for a part which isn't going to be seen, there is no thermal benefit to plating it .

Without some kind of coating aluminum will oxidize, nickel is cheap to apply and last a long time

 

[dennishoddy]

Dang, there goes making a thermite bomb with magnesium shavings, which would have been a lot more fun than scrap value....but, happily, aluminum can also work, but not near as well at burning through engine blocks.

We used to light off magnesium engine parts at night at little Sahara in our hell raising days there.