Yes, it's worth it to keep old cars on the road!

The average car in the US has a life cycle of 12 years, according to randomly googled info... so by keeping yours 16 years you've recycled 1/3 of your vehicle already!

replacing the starter on a 2.8 is very easy... if that's even what you need - check electrical and ground connections first. if those check out, drop the starter and test it on the bench - it may just need cleaning.