Nope, just never heard it called a Bendix before. Didn't even occur to me. I'm more familiar with "starter drive" or something like that, instead of "Bendix drive" or just "Bendix". "Bendix drive" is a lot more descriptive, and I could probably figure out what it was without knowing who originally invented it.

It's like saying "your Hitachi is shot" if you have a Honda, instead of saying "Hitachi coil", or "ignition coil", etc.



Edit: It looks like actual Bendix drives haven't been used since the early 1960s because they had lots of problems. That's probably why I don't know about them. The modern solenoid actuated starter drives aren't actually "Bendix drives" even though some people still call them that as a throwback to the earlier starter drives.

So calling a Fox body starter drive a "Bendix" is actually wrong.

Cool, I learned a new word today that I'll never use.

 

try push starting it yet just to see if it starts?

 

As stated above, I don't know if the starter or the solenoid has ever been replaced on that car. I owned it since 07. Worst case just take off starter and have tested.

 

The starter is just a motor that requires a main ground (usually chassis ground) and a hot lead to energize the wound coils and pull the bendix drive gear to engage. The solenoid is simply the switch. Jump the starter directly or remove it and bench test it or have it tested. Bypass your solenoid all together. Chevrolet's had the same problem cooking the starter mounted solenoid (and starter) when headers where added (small block 350/305)

 

thanks for your input everyone! it turned out to be the starter.