Fish Nautique Repower

Quick reference.
78 fish nautique
At the moment running tired 351W RR MAYBE 260 HP (i dont know) with a 13X9 wheel.
I want more power and more speed, and need to have reliability.
After pricing out my options and weighing my pros and cons i pretty much have come down to two options i have available to me. Either buy a 454 complete engine or build a stroker 351-408.

I have a complete 454 with gear fully rebuilt that I can purchase for roughly the same amount i would have into building a stroker out of a 351. SO as far as the motor goes its one or the other, its not a big difference price wise at this point.
the 454 is a GEN 3 454XL crusader, makes around 350Hp. Has a velvet drive 2.0:1 model 20-01-004

Pros and cons of each motor that i figure on, and they pretty much outweigh each other from what i figure. just depends where i would rather spend my time. either in front of the hone or in the bilge.

New prop will be needed either way i go.
-With the 454 I may need a new gear because the one it comes with is 2.0:1 need to take a ride to the prop shop to see what my options are.
-stroker would require less R&D when it comes to installing it,
-but 454 would require less R&D to put together since its already complete.
-I would have to get the stroker run on dyno to get HP and torque specs to decide correct wheel.
-454 the torque info is all available to look up since its a production motor.
-fitment is in question for the 454 but im quite certain i could shoehorn it in there.
-cost-wise they're fairly equal between the two and not a huge concern but still a factor. the 454 being more after all is said and done.
-stroker adds cool factor, but a big block is still a big block and has nothing to prove.

keep in mind the Fish is a little bit different of a boat than most of the boats on this forum, being a very Deep-V hull and a pretty heavy laid hull. Ocean 90% of its life and would not be uncommon to have 75Gals of fuel a 50 gal of seawater in the livewell and 4 crew and gear on board. beer and ice.
SO-
454 or 408
what would you do?