Upgrade suggestions

[*96civicdx*]

Hello all. I have a 96Honda civic dx with a d16y7 engine. I definitly want to upgrade it to a 5 speed, (auto sucks!!) but am unsure what i should do as far as engine mods. I have heard that the d16y8 is basically the same block with a vtec head on it. Would it even be worth my time/money to swap a y8 head to my engine? Is there anything else you have to change for that to work? Im not looking for a really killer fast car, just something that can hold its own and be fun to drive. is it even worth the time fooling around with a d series engine, or should i be thinking about say a b16/b18 vtec swap? And Ideas/advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks!