We obviously all love the CTD, thats why we are here right? Do any of you prefer another truck over the 1st gen Dodge? If you had the choice, what would it be?

 

I actually like the first gen dodges the best.

And I'm going tomorrow to look at a 2wd one ton 4 door for the cab and frame to make a 4wd 1st gen 4 door cummins.

FIRST GEN all the way for me

 

^^^^^ x2
Same here. Nothin beats a 1st Gen!

 

I like the first gen Dodge because they are simple and tough. What other standard issue 3/4 ton diesel truck could you buy in the early nineties with a solid front axle, NP 205 transfer case, Dana 70 rear, and leaf spring front suspension. The answer is NONE! Lucky for me the Dodge came with the direct injected 5.9 Cummins, otherwise I would have had to done a lot of fabricating to get an awesome motor into an awesome truck.

 

These trucks have a bad rap, but really there well built trucks in my opinion. Mine has about 250,000 on it, the drivers door hinge needs replacing, and the passenger power door lock doesn't work, but everthing else is allright. Any rig after almost 20 years of being driven will show wear and tear. Although if i could swap a 12 v into a early 80's ford 1 ton..............................

 

Funny till just now I didnt know first gens werent the only real trucks from these years.

 

The best engine ever made in the most poorly engineered truck ever to roll off the assembly line. In my opinion (and everyone has one), a Cummins in a powerstroke body would have been great and bring the running gear over with it. We deal with broken hinges, cracked cowls, frame cracks at the steering gear, cab roof rust, a wiring nightmare for an engine that doesn't need any wiring to operate, and my favorite an automatic trans that allows the converter fluid to leak back to the pan when parked. I frequent the powerstroke forum and most of their complaints are engine related. That being said I wouldn't trade my Cummins for anyone else's truck.

 

Amen, i loved my cummins, and i actually liked my '93 d-250 but dodge trucks just aren't engineered as well as fords and chevy's, they are always a couple of years behind on everything truck wise, and the ergonomics are inferior to the other makes IMO.

 

If I were to get another truck.

I would drop a Cummins into an older Ford.

 

Ryan,
If thats the one I'm thinking about thats one your side of the river the cab has a pretty bad case of cancer on the lower side.

 

I have allways heard dodge had a rust problem,from what I see it's no worse than any other make. As far a durability,I'll put the old first gens up against any other pickup out there.My old 78 took everything I threw at it,untill I got my 93 two years ago.after nearly thirty years of being asked to do things that it shouldn't have,it still had the original drive train,except for brakes,and ujoints,nothing was ever rebuilt or replaced.It outllasted two of m y friends 78 chevys,and a 79 ford,they were all three bought at the same time I bought my 78.and were all junked years ago.

 

I haven't seen all the engineering and electrical defects that always seem to get mentioned along these lines.

 

I have driven the rest, and now I drive the best.
Dan.

 

I love my ram and would not put that motor in anything else. Do you really think the ford or chevy trucks would hold up better than the dodge? I know guys are swaping the cummins into fords and chevys, but after 250,000 miles would the ferd or cheby not crack at the cowl and door hinges? Thats alot of motor for any vehicle IMO.

 

I would put the motor in a late seventies or 95/96 model 4 door Ford 4wd. Four door is the only way to go. It was stupid of Dodge to do away with it when they did.