I really like my 1st gen dodge Cummins, but I won't lie, it is a bit wearing on you at times. All those problems could go away with some more time and money however. Spring and shock technology has come a LONG way since 1992, you just have to invest the money to fix the issue.
My dodge is pretty much dead nuts reliable. It has 300,000 miles or more now and just needs a little love. The best thing about these trucks is that all the major parts ARE rebuildable with easy to find affordable parts.
Finding a clean older truck is getting much harder however. If you can find one and give it a new life all the better! Mine was pretty dang rough when I got it and I think I did a pretty good job giving it a new lease on life. I could still pour money into like no tomorrow but even in a basically stock form it works VERY well. The 1st gen Cummins trucks probably have one of the best grouping of factory parts ever in one vehicle in my opinion. Sure, you can get better parts here and there, but for a complete package it is very hard to beat.
The only really big downfall to the 1st gen Cummins trucks is the steering system. It is crap and needs replaced.
Other than that the truck will probably run around long after the body has rotted off it
