Well, after ignoring the obvious (what I now know is slow, labored starting and occasional "snag" in the start) for a year or more, my wife went shopping and the car chose not to start in the Publix lot. Retaliation for putting that mid-grade gas in last month, no doubt.
When I got the old starter out it had a cooked smell; got my money's worth from that one.
Got the new one from Advance, their site said it was the Bosch rebuilt but when it came in it was not Bosch. I told them Autozone had their rebuilt (DuraCrap brand) for $119 and they matched it. The install was straightforward.
The new starter sounds like it spins a lot faster, and the car jolts to life faster - it sounds like a jap car!! I am eager to hear another car like mine start so I can see if that's normal. (Anyone)?
There, I've answered my own question. The sound was not normal.
-Tom