Typically long block deals come with everything from the valve cover to the oil pan. It will sometimes include a wiring harness, manifolds or distributor (depends on the seller). Short block's are usually just from the oil pan to the head gasket (no head or above). $800 sounds like a pretty good deal for a long block but don't forget shipping costs.

A common misconception with LS/VTEC's is they're cheap. It seems like it because your buying everything seperately. If you add up all the costs of the different parts (and shipping if you find them seperately) and the costs of upgrading the things that are nessicary to make the engine reliable, it gets costly. It's not that B20 (or any non-VTEC) can't rev, it's that they're not designed to rev to the same high rpms that the VTEC engines are (8000 is a lot). A few differences is the VTEC engine's have is a block girdle (a GS-R one can be machined to fit and Z10 make a comptable one), higher volume oil pump, slower speed water pump (the VTEC units can be bolted on) and oil squiters among other things. The marginally extra stroke of the non-VTEC engines also is an issue but not a huge one.

You could piece together a B20/VTEC for close to the same money as a B18C1 but the reliablity will count heavily on the quality of the work and how much you spend and do yourself. The B18C1 will basically be stock with typical Honda reliablity. An advantage to the B20/VTEC is it wouldn't have be stock if your willing to spend some extra money. Higher compression pistons, new bearings and a full balance while everything is apart anyway and maybe some headwork and new cams will put out a lot more power than a stock B18C1 (hell, more than the Type R's B18C5 if you spend your money in the right places and tune it). The sky's the limit on what you want to spend though and a B18C1 with similar modifications would put out similar power. You can always sleeve a B18C1 to 2.0L too, and have thicker and stronger sleeves. Seeya.