Can anyone recommended the best OE style replacement starter? I have a 69Camaro with a 396. I have looked in the specialty catalogs(Ricks, D&R, NPD, etc) and the remanufactured units run around $80-$90. I have checked with the local parts stores like Advanced Auto and Auto Zone and their remanufactured units run around $50. I am just courious to know if there is much difference in the reliability of these parts. If anyone has any recommendations of one over the other, that would be great.

Also, my current starter does not have the Heat Shield. I see that Ricks has the shield for around $25. By adding this, will it make a difference on the life of the starter? I have a stock exhaust manifold setup.

I just put a Tilton on my 69 468 because the starter was getting heat soaked it was $300 but well worth it....