John Deere parts store in our area quoted us a price of $500 because it's an older model tractor. Would some of the starters advertised on Ebay for 1/5 of the price for a 160 work?

Hi,
That is about $200 high. A 160 has a Kawasaki FB460V on it and the going price for a starter is $300 - 320. By all means try Ebay and use the above info to help.
Peace,
Clarke