I remember about twenty years ago

seeing a typeI style case with a oil filter on the block, and was told it was a "industrial case". I have not looked at a vanagon case though.
If you get your heads machined to the same depth, you should be able to adjust your deck height with cylinder shims, and your head chambers with copper gaskets to get a good compression ratio.
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1970 T1 W/MassIVe 2913cc RAT/?EFI? w/direct fire (very soon) and 915 trans
1962 SC 1776cc SP 944NA brakes, 993 wheels
VKG