no to the ceramic lifters. Without having a crystal ball, I cant say how long the current lifters will last. When your engine was born, the lifters had an issue where they would stop rolling due to a flat spot developing on the roller axle. they are brass. this caused the roller to stop turning and therefore it would damage the cam. With that said.... you have some food for thought on replacing the cam and lifters, or maybe just the lifters. If you do remove the cam gear, keep in mind you have an offset cam key, and its installation direction. For your HP. the white painted end faces forward.
As far as PAI engine kits, I have built at least 10 complete builds and used many parts kits. They do a great job. I just talked to a guy whos E-7 Mechanical engine I did 6 years ago, and he is still running good. I have some out there that are older then that... Keep in touch.