good questions... its hard to find a prelude in good condition.. driven by an older person. I was lucky to find one, but it was an SI. It's fine for me, I've put a lot of money into maintenance, but I love it. I am going the turbo route, so the h23 is better for that with lower compression from the factory. If you plan to go turbo, either car would be fine. With a correctly built motor any of the prelude motors would be great. If you plan on going turbo on STOCK internals, I would look for a prelude S. The low compression makes it the most convenient, there are threads all over the place proving its potential.
The VTEC's are rare, and you might get one in good shape, but its mileage will most likely be high. If I were you I'd get an SI and swap in the h22 motor if you want to go that route. The F22 is terrible stock, but has great boost potential, so dont forget about it.
Don't forget, the only things that set the VTEC and SI apart are leather interior, gearing, motor, and front brakes. I believe thats about it. If you have any questions just ask,
mike.