Was able to get the following for $650
Manley Rods
Arp main and head studs
Boundary oil pump (he didn't specify which model, only that it cost $299 new)

Due to the price of the bump, I believe it's the Street Pump model. From my understanding, the Street Strip vvt Compatible has wider fins than the non vvt pump. Physically, they are interchangable as they will both fit a 1.8 block the same. Will I suffer from oil starvation issues by using the Street pump while i have a vvt head? I'm slowly gathering parts to make a reliable 250whp primarly street, once in awhile track car so if I HAVE to, I will re-sell the pump and buy the street-strip pump. At a $100 new price difference I would prefer not to.

 

The OEM mazda VVT oil pump is different from the previous years. I think it has also now replaced all the 1.8 pumps or atleast all the NB pumps with the vvt compatible version. There are quite a few folks on here that have been fine running the normal pump with a vvt head, but only you can decide if that risk is worth it to you. I.e. mazda thought that the vvt mechanism benefited from the higher volume/flow pump.

Take that as you will.

 

Advice taken. Plan is to sell the oil pump and buy the correct one.

 

I just want to be clear that I said above that many people on here are running the BE non-vvt pump with a VVT head and are doing fine. Might be worth it to reach out to a few of them and see how things are going. Maybe they'll chime in here. It comes down to how risk averse one is, as I said.

 

I know but after further research, some people reported that the non-vvt pump wasn't sending enough flow to actuate the solenoid. Also in the event that I would like to add an oil-cooler, I would be constantly worried that the additional restriction would be determinantal to the engine. For the additional $120 I would have to spend after selling my current oil pump, I would have the peace of mind that I would have one less problem to worry about.