Thanks for the input fellas. #2 son convinced me we should all see if we could get the car going tonight, so we all met in the parking lot where the car lay. The three grandkids were all present which was sort of appropriate as they helped get it where it is today. I did pick up a reman starter from the local rebuilder so I was prepared.
We managed to push the car over to the side of the parking lot so we could spread out without being in the way. Trolley jack and ramps provided enough clearance to get to the starter and after a bit of colorful language, the starter was out. We did a jumper cable starter test and of course there is nothing wrong with the starter. We would have tried a hotwire in place but the terminal seemed inaccessible without removal. This at least gave us the opportunity to put a meter on the starter engagement terminal and got a whopping 0.48v with the key in start, a pretty good reason it doesn't engage. With darkness coming on, we thought the car would likely start if we hotwired the start terminal to the battery and with the ignition key in run, just a touch to the start terminal and the engine started instantly. There is no doubt the problem lies in one or both of the suggested spots for a bypass. The ignition switch terminal with the yellow wire output battery voltage in the start position, so both ends of the start system are working, but not in between. This at least allowed us to relocate the car to a more hospitable location for detective work. More on that later.
I will add the human side of this story: #2 son burns the candle at both ends and in the middle, a definite type A, and he didn't get that from his dad. Always short of time, he was scheduled to drop the 8yr old grandson at his former wife's house, about 30 miles away on his way back home, another 15 miles further. With the Reatta running, he decided to use it to drop his son off and drive home, or possibly continue on to my cottage, another 13 miles further yet. The car #2 son brought to the party is his do everything hooptie mobile, a '03 Honda Civic hybrid with over 300k miles on the original drivetrain. This left the Reatta driving grandson with the hooptie Honda to take his sister home, where they both live and is in the same city as the school. I did offer to let one of them take my Subaru but mercifully they refused?
I haven't heard if he made it home or if he went to the cottage. I had suggested if he would drop the Reatta at the cottage to take the Ford Ranger that spends its summer in storage so he would have wheels. That needs to be pulled out anyway as my four post lift goes in on Saturday.?
Edit: just got word the Reatta went to the cottage and he did take the Ranger so everyone is safe, although grandson driving the hooptie Honda might disagree