IMHO if all else is equal, a single pass is better than a double pass... Probably one of the biggest reasons that most people use double pass cores is that they are FAR more common! I've gone through the entire Leakycar photo set, and judging by the pictures, there are only about 20 single pass cores, vs. several hundred dual pass. The single pass cores are also very similar in size, and most have I/O fittings that stick out the sides or ends of the tanks rather than the face, which makes them harder to fit for many applications. Lastly, it appears that several of that small number are for 'wierd' car apps, which makes them more expensive / hard to get.
I'm using a 2-342 (6"W x 9.5"L x 2"T)in my rig, which is from one of several Chevy / GM trucks made in the mid 60's. It was only about $40.00 USD, which is fairly cheap, but I had to special order it which took over a week.
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2. However, dT entering the "second" radiator (or second half if you will) is lower. This makes the second half less efficient at displacing heat, which is a common argument.
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True, but this really applies to a single pass core as well - the dT of the coolant entering will be higher than the dT of the water exiting, with a temp gradient accross the face of the core, running from inlet to outlet. In a DP core, it's more complex, as each segment will have it's own gradient, with each gradient running in the opposite direction. The two segments are also closer and narrower, so it's harder to take advantage of the gradient.
In my system, I'm going to take advantage of the gradient. Hot coolant will enter the bottom of my rad, and exit out the top. I have two 120 mm fan zones side by side sucking through the rad via a divided duct. The bottom fan which sees the hottest coolant will blow out a hole in the bottom of the case (which is mounted on wheels) getting most of the heat out of the case ASAP. The upper fan blows into the case, and is the sole air intake for the system. In effect I have made the single core into two 'virtual rads', each 6"W x 4.5"H. I suppose it would be possible to do something similiar with a DP core, but it would be far more complex and difficult.
Gooserider