Sometimes I hear a crunch at cold start-up, but I’m told it’s the starter bendix which is a common defect on the model. I’ll eventually replace the starter and drive the car until it explodes.
#80 A crunch is a good sound for a car to make as you turn over the engine.... : )
Yes, that probably is the bendix. You may want to get that fixed soon as it could damage the teeth on the ring gear (which is pressed onto the flywheel). That repair requires the removal of the transmission and then the flywheel.
The starter replacement shouldn’t be too expensive. And, yes,
plan on the car lasting a long, long time.