My first 26 was a taco w/ those cheesy nuts, which had already caused some enamel chipping by the time I bought it from the original owner. I moved it along eventually.
Because of this thread I went out to check my 2 current "modern" 26s, and found that despite both being DEs, one has the old white-wall wheels (my preference) and the snap-in heat shield and white handle, while the other has a reg. welded handle (gray), no shield, and the newer wheels. Neither was bought new by me, but I assumed they were stock.