Stick with a local rebuilder. Especially around Los Angeles,
there should be plenty of options.  My comment comes from
first hand experience... after FOUR round trips of my engine
to/from Boston Engine at $150 each way, my engine turned out
to be very expensive.  Especially when you consider I ended
up locally rebuilding what he sent me rather than pay for
any more shipping... And of course, he never settled with me
as he promised, so we are talking a very expensive lesson
here.

Your mileage may vary, of course...

Have you looked into Fast German? They are fairly local to
you, I believe.

Bill Knight
Raleigh, NC
'84 Westfalia
'91 Carat w/TIICO Vibes