Well the starter grinded and then let out a burnt smell this morning as it tried to start the car. I'm still going to try a different battery and clean the cables. However Im pretty sure its the starter.

Any advice as to what brand of starter to purchase?

I just replaced mine Three times! Do not go to Checker Auto. I had to take it back twice and finally get my money back. The one they were giving kept hitting the flywheel no matter what I did. I went to NAPA and havent had a problem since. This one just bolted right in.

I use the Visteon Brand at work. I prefer to buy new units instead of remanufactured units. I get more comebacks from the remans than I do from the new units. The Autozone and Advance units are absolute junk. I replaced my Autozone starter 3 times in 2 years on my old blazer

I got a rebuilt starter from an authorized Delco rebuilder site. It'* right across from an Autozone store. The guy at the desk commented that oil drips off the oil pan from seeps and gets into the starters causing them to go out. You mentioned the burned oil smell and that made me remember his comment.

Yup its dead. Not even a click on startup. tried a new battery, no difference. Cleaned the top of the cables, nothing. I have been losing antifreeze but I can manually turn the engine. So its not hydrolocked. Getting a starter from NAPA.

As for the oil burning idea. I actually think I just burned it to death. Had the key turned for 7-10 seconds. I let go of it and it made a really weird noise. Next thing I know the starter smells like something was burning and no response from it.

How hard is it to get the starter off?

It isn't that bad at all. Theres only two bolts holding it in. The hard part for me was squeezing out between the frame and the lines that run across the lower core support. I had to take off all the line mounts. Be sure to disconnect the battery otherwise you could do some welding while your at it .

Thanks for the heads up. I should clean down there while im at it as well.

I took the old one off today. I couldn't figure out which bolts were the ones so I ended up taking out five. Turns out you got 2 15mm (I believe thats the size). One in front and one long one in the back. I was able to squeeze the starter out from the top of the engine bay instead of getting it from the bottom.

I should have the new one in tomorrow $150 from NAPA.

He said the oil gets on the contacts inside the starter causing failure, by causing arcing I assume. I tightened the oil pan bolts ever so slightly. But I thought people had said trying to make a leaking gasket seal just made it worse. Mine just collects little drops of oil on the bolt heads. Rarely got a drop on the driveway.
But tightening stopped the drops on the driveway. Knock on wood.

Not sure if it applies to the S1 as it does the S2..but that typical barely puts a little on the bolt heads is commonly the rear engine cover seal. (4 gaskets and a lot of swearing later..I found out).

No way to get at it w/o pulling the engine or the trans. As I recall the S1 had a better gasket design than the S2 95-99 with the windage tray built into the gasket.