Yes Die Hards DIE HARD!
Garth's advice is right on. The block must be well grounded to the chassis, or your poor starter will not draw the current it is supposed to. This is often overlooked in troubleshooting starter problems, but the ground between block & chassis is part of the starter circuit. The starter must also be grounded to the block well, a well meaning painter could possibly create a problem in that area.
If you are skillful with a volt meter, there are ways to troubleshoot this.
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