Had to buy a new starter today, I get home and the new starter has a shaft in front of the drive gear? Did the parts person screw up or did they have different starters for different years

Sounds like they sold you a bug starter. Won't work. This is a common mistake with parts houses, they think we take the same starter as bugs.

Ok, my oldest inherited the teener, the auto zone people gave him a bug starter. I went with them and they suggested cutting off the shaft in front of the drive gear??? An old timer that worked there was able to locate the right starter and ordered it