I did get clicking sounds at times which I figured was a horn relay, but I didn't go looking for it. Must have gone bad - I haven't touched it. Will disconnect that when I find it.

As for the short for the starting problem - the car's accessories work when the key is in the "on" position with no problem. As soon as you click it to "start" or if you jump the external solenoid, it shorts out. That should limit the amount of areas that could be shorting, right?

Could the starter be shorting out inside itself??