My questions are:

1) Are first gen's a stepping stone to newer, more powerful, more comfortable, less problematic trucks or is it a lifesyle (in a way).

We are "laughed at by the younger generations (grandpa's truck) but the people in the know respect our trucks for what they are. IMO real trucks have vent windows, bottom line. Ask anyone I know and they will tell you I'm dead set on that. Which begs the question. Are first gen Fords (like the idi guys) looked at the same way. How bout those few souls running 6.2's (which are still used in ancient Govn't blazers and HuMVees).

2) Why did you buy a first gen?

I know it wasn't to fex up and put on eBay, but maybe it was.

 

1) Cult, rare breed, dare to be differnt.

2) My uncle had a 92 150 that was broken down on a daily basis (back when is was fairly new). But I fell in love with the look of the truck

Come on $5200 for my truck, how could I not right.

 

I got my 93 last winter,and the main reason was I like the older style,plus I got a deal I couldn't refuse. As far as having trouble,it seems like the newer trucks cause more problems than the older models.

 

I love my truck but I bought it simply cause I wanted a diesel and first gens were all I could afford at the time. Today I just bought a 2001 3500 CTD. So I guess for me it was a stepping stone.

I will miss the simplicity of it though!

 

I think its a lifestyle if you will.

I would dump my third gen before I ever got rid of my 1st gen. I believe truly that my first 1st gen has way more character than my 3rd gen ever will. I love my 1st gen for one simple fact besides the ctd .... Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity.

Yea I believe the pre flowersmoke and 6.2 chebby guys are "looked at that way as well"

 

Got mine cuz it ain't got no cup holders...If ya wanna sip tea while you're drivin down the road git ya one'a them NANCY trucks, chat on the phone, check yer self in the mirror, but get outta my way I've got work to do in my REAL TRUCK!

 

I'm young and I drive a first gen. They have more character than any of the other trucks. It's too common around here to see a bombed or wannabebombed second gen, but I never see more than a few first gens around here, none of which are bombed.

I bought a first gen because I got a good deal on it and it was all I could afford.

 

Hum I bought mine because I had a ford tempo, I really didnt want the huge 6 wheel noisy monster. But old tempo had two wheels in grave and was slipping, and truck was sound. After I bought it I like diesel so toyed with thought getting a new one till i thought it over. Mines as capable as a new one, it can pull anything an 06 can and i dont have a 7 or 8 hundred dollar payment. I like body style so the old girls got a permanent home,

 

Couldn't of put it better myself.
I like the first gens cause they are reliable, practical, and easy to work on, and they have more character given by their sheetmetal physique.
And they are quite rare. At least when compared to a second or third gen. Sort of a diamond in the rough.

 

I bought my 1st gen because I couldn't afford a 2nd gen 12v... I'm on my 3rd 2nd gen and have only looked back with short glances

I love the old square bodies, but the 2nd gens just have more going for them... lighter weight, better tranny, D80 rear w/ a manual tranny in the 3/4 ton, P7100!!!!!!!!!!!!!, a chassis that was actually designed to hold the Cummins, etc. etc. etc.

 

That about says it all. It has almost no computer to go bad. I don't worry about all the emissions crap to keep going. If I want to tweak something I can usually do it with mechanical parts the operation of are understandable and knowable. With computers you're at the mercy of the programmers or you have to be a programmer and you would need the source code to modify the program. It's far easier to tweak a VE pump even though it's not as precise than to tweak a program. A screwdriver and a wrench is far cheaper than the boxes and code roms the 3rd gens need to add more fuel.

And to top it all off, it's a lot more fun to twist a screw and watch the smoke roll and to know what happened when you twisted the screw. It's kind of Zen like. I love the old machines because I grew up with old machines. Even though I am a computer consultant and I can write the sorts of programs (and have written a few) that controll the trucks of today I choose not to because I know how complex and tempermental these things are. When a computer in those things goes bad it's very expensive to replace. When one of the myriad of sensors craps out and gives bad data to the computer the truck runs crappy or not at all. (Garbage in - garbage out.) Just look at the problems with the later 1st gens you read about here when the crank sensor is bad or maladjusted. NOTHING works! No such thing on my 89 and I like it that way. I can trace down a loose wire but it's a lot more difficult to find a bad bit.

An old rule states that system reliability is inversely proportional to system complexity. Or more simply stated, the more stuff that can break the more likely something WILL break... at the worst possible moment. This is why it costs so much and is so difficult to get a space shuttle off the ground. It's why there are still magnitos in single engine airplanes and there are TWO of them. Simple is better. K.I.S.S. When a new $50,000 truck breaks, it takes a very costly machine to even diagnose the problem. And probably an expensive part to fix. OTOH, my truck probably wouldn't break because nuts and bolts are a lot stronger than transistors.

I'm not a Luddite but I know how things work and technology, where it's appropriate is a good thing. But IMHO these new trucks are way to expensive and have way to much frufru when all you want to do is haul the trailer down the road.

And besides, it's PAID FOR! I've never owed a nickel on it. I paid cash and I've paid cash for everything that's gone into it. The bank can kiss my A--!

Edwin

 

Well for me I built and off road rig and needed a tow rig..

SO I used what I had.. an '84 Chevy 1500 (wow that towed like crap)
SO then I stepped up to a '92 F250(GAS) and it would pull good but the fuel mileage was TERRIBLE. (ask Bigwaylon)
Then I lucked into my '92 CTD ($1500)
now after owning a Diesel I will never go back to Gas..
Yes I have put a bunch of money into this Truck but I look at it 2 ways. I have no car payments and I honeslty think this truck could out last me..(well since I am replacing almost every body part I am sure it will last)

 

I am getting to the point after being in the new vehicle sales & service business, and seeing all the freakin problems that we deal with on a daily basis to keep these new $30,000-$50,000 machines going down the road that I think I need to keep my 1st gen going for ever. It gets 20+MPG, it always runs, the $500 a piece injectors don't crap out from running some slightly contaminated fuel, I can fix just about anything that is wrong with it even though I am not a technician. When I go down the road and see these women who live in town driving to work in a King Ranch edition F250 6.0 diesel that the dang stereo cost more than my whole truck, it makes me really feel good. I guess they think they need that, most of them have a $600-$800 a month truck payment for up 6 years, what ever they think they "need" I guess. I can't say much as I make my living selling these people these trucks, but it really boggles my mind. They can laugh at me if they want, but I think my 93' has at least another 200,000-300,000mi left in her, so I'm gonna keep on truckin, and they can keep making their $600-$800 a month payments.

 

Well mine is my 1st vehicle and I have been drving it for 5 years now. I am starting to outgrow it tho (reg cab). I would like to find an excellent 1st gen x-cab but that is highly unlikely so I am probably going to step up to a 2nd gen or early 3rd gen.

This truck is starting to need more repairs and I don't want to sink a bunch of money into it and still have a 16 y/o truck so I am kinda at a crossroads myself. But I do enjoy driving it and it is the reason I am here and know more about Dodge/CTDs than anyone ever should

 

First gens are classic. Alot of 2nd and 3rd genners always complament on a nice looking first gen truck, and always say they want one. 1st and 2nd gen 12 valve trucks need hand tweaking not plug and play new tech. turn of the **** tech. to gain HP. New 3rd gen 24 valve trucks come factory stock with 290 hp to 325 hp plug in a smarty and you get 400+ wow that's hard work. I guess it would be if you can't find where you plug it in . But all in all Dodge trucks being 1st through 3rd gen truck are the best trucks out there which one you pick is up to you. I LIKE MY 1ST GEN.

Greg