I advocated for a Subaru, now I'll tell you why I have an air-cooled science project.
The single greatest advantage for guys like me is the almost limitless flexibility of the platform. A 1500 single-port and a 2332 ground-pounder take up the same real-estate, use the same mounts, and are probably built on the same case. Most of what applies to the little feller applies to the big-boy. You can cut your teeth on a 1776, move up to a 2110, and eventually end up with a twin-plug, dry-sump 2276 using a lot of the same parts (if you plan ahead).
... or you can keep your head screwed on straight and just do it once. A nice 2110 with Panchitos and a 120 cam, 40 Dellortos, and a 1-1/2" sidewinder is not cheap by any means, but it won't approach a Subaru in cost, and it won't likely break (much). The fancier you get, the more stuff you deal with. The sweet-spot for everything is about 130- 140 hp. Try for more, and the cost starts climbing the bell-curve pretty rapidly.
Jim Ignacio keeps it simple, and just enjoys life. I want the hammer of Thor under my right foot, and (occasionally) flog my engine like a rented mule. My approach costs more in time and treasure, both initially and in terms of maintenance, but I'm not using my car the way anybody else I know does. You're never going to build something like this, so it's irrelevant. You strike me more as a Jimbo-guy.
That's it. Don't go to the lowest bidder. Don't fall for some huckster's promises. Intermeccanica and Beck use CB Performance for Type 1s for a reason-- because they are businessmen, and when they put a Pat Downs engine back there, they don't have a ton of hassles. That's a good approach- buy once, cry once.
I'd still recommend a Subaru unless you are mechanically inclined.