If the starter is not engaging--I'd suspect VATS problem first. Have you tryed another ign. key in the switch ? There are contacts inside the steering column which "read" the resistance of the "pellet" in the key. The pellet must be clean and the contacts must be clean. You don't have a "neutral safety switch" w/your manual tranny--you DO have a clutch switch as someone else mentioned.. There is also a starter relay behind the I/P or the starter itself may be bad. I'd suspect VATS first because that system has given enough problems that(also as someone else said) there is a aftermarket VATS bypass kit available  Since the starter is not turning-- the "opti distributor" is not your problem. 

A big THANK YOU to everyone for your comments on my recent post that my 1992 Corvette would not start.

Glad you got it taken care of! It sux when ya can't drive your Corvette!
Did ya happen to take any pics of the modification? If so, pleas feel free to share!

It is such a closed in space for trying to take photos that I didn't.

Every now and then, I have the same problem. When this happens to me, I just take the ignition key for a walk and get it about 2 blocks away from the car for 5 minutes. After this brief little exercise, the car starts right up

forgot to say, a good GM tech once told me the signal between the ignition key and the VATS can get hosed. When the key is moved 100+ yards from the car, the signal is broken. The VATS needs 5 minutes to exhaust its retries. Then when you return to the car, the VATS is refreshed and the signal is refreshed

Thanks for the information.

I was ready to sell my vette the first year that I got it. That vats thing would drive me nuts. Puy the bypass on and 3 years now and no trouble. Glad to hear you got yours fixed.

[QUOTE=redvette89]forgot to say, a good GM tech once told me the signal between the ignition key and the VATS can get hosed. When the key is moved 100+ yards from the car, the signal is broken. The VATS needs 5 minutes to exhaust its retries. Then when you return to the car, the VATS is refreshed and the signal is refreshed[/QUOTE] This isn't correct. The VATS doesn't work that way especially in the cars that didn't come with the proximity FOB. The VATS strictly works with the resistor in the key.  And it doesn't take 5 minutes for the VATS to reset or "your tries" to run out.