Well I just put in a new starter and...... it made no difference!!

So I clamped a jumper cable to the battery plus and thru the other end under the vehicle. Using needle nose pliers I was just able to clamp an alligator jumper lead onto the the "start" terminal. I touched the other end to the jumper cable and the starter took off. After replacing my ignition switch and the wire from the firewall side, to the dash side, I now see the whole problem was in the start wire between about the middle of the rear of the engine down the conduit to the starter. Somewhere in there the wire has failed.

Now I have to pull the starter to replace the wire... Argh!!!