looking over this thread now...posting here for others reference :)

DIY Starter Change
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-starter-change-swap-dummies-189410/

dan - you are awesome!!!! thank you for the advice; got her started and running. i'll drive around for a bit and head to the auto store for them to test the battery (and probably just get a new one since this is so old).

Thanks!! i'll post up the readings and the new battery info later...

my suggestion was going to be to pop start the car. Just to get it running and take it to the autoparts store just to get thigns tested out. But seeing how you got it running and to a store, i ams till thinking battery.

a little off topic but:

When i first got my car (used) i noticed that the fans would NOT shut off after the car was turned off and had sat for a long long time. Now i realize that they run normaly when you shut the car off, but once i went out about a half hour after shutting it off and the fans were still running. Anyway, turns out it was a bad battery. I have no clue why it affected the fans, but i replaced the battery and everything has been good ever since.

^hmm that is weird!

so yeah, thanks again everyone (and dan!!). it was 100% battery. it was a mazda battery too...i am the only owner and i do not remember changing it, so 6+ years on one battery is pretty good i guess! i think it just flat-out died. pulled about 10 volts, and that was after driving for about 15 minutes, and another 15-20 minutes of idling (waiting for auto store). got it replaced with some "gold" battery from autoparts for about $100. sigh of relief....... :)

:) Glad you got it going ...