Grew up spending my summer vacations working on my Grandpa's farm. Naturally I spent time around diesel tractors and got addicted haha. Then I saw a kid in a lifted 1st gen pull up beside me and my mom at a stop light and he took off. I was 15 or so at the time and immediately sold. I made it clear to myself that my first vehicle would be a 1st gen cummins. Now I'm 18 and currently looking to get a 01 or 02 in real nice shape.

This stuff is addictive, but its fun and it keeps me busy.

 

I grew up in East Texas, everyone had one, or wanted one. Plus when I was 11 my best friends older brother had a turned up 93 Cummins

 

When I was little- like 3, I was into big rigs. All I wanted was semi toys. Semi books. Anything semi. I was gonna be a trucker growing up. Just had a thing for the big, loud trucks. I loved going to truck stops to look at all the rigs. It was like a kid in a candy store, except I would rather look at rigs than eat candy. I was destined to drive diesels since I was a kid. Its kinda funny, nobody in my family is even remotely into cars/trucks except me.

Now, what got me into Dodge/Cummins...probably my uncle Stan. He had a 92 ex. cab manual, blue/silver, I remember it as a dually but he didnt buy duallys. Then he got a 95 Club Cab 5 speed, red, little did I know what he had. His last truck was an 00, Quad Cab, six speed. That was the first Dodge diesel I ever drove, and was hooked from there on out. Unfortunately he died in 00 when his truck was pretty much brand new fell asleep and rolled it; they got my aunt out right before the truck collapsed on him. Always wanted to be like my uncle, so I guess when I really look at it, I can thank him for not driving Chevys or Fords...otherwise Ida probably followed his steps. Figured if Dodge was good enough for him, it was good enough for me.

Plus the first time I heard one straight piped, well, thats enough to ruin any 13 year old for life!!

 

I cut my teeth back in the early 70's when my Dad bought a Mercedes 220D. Then over the years with 240D, 300TDs and Kubota tractors. And then school boy help with Macks and Marmon trucks.

MikeyB

 

I Was about 20 and searching for a 3/4 to truck. Had to be a dodge. Found a 93 grey/silve regular cab diesel on the lot at a ford dealer listed in the trader. Drove down took it for a ride and was hooked and I mean hooked. Truck was only a year or so old, had about 50k on it. 4.10, 5spd, 4x4. I used it for a few years and sold it for more than I paid for it to buy a new 97 club cab set up the same way. Ive been cummins powered since, and see no signs of changing. Anywho, when I went to the ford dealer to look at the 93 I was imeddiatly hit by a salesman. I told him I was here to see the dodge diesel. He took me over to see it and said he'll have someone go get the keys. It was pretty cold that day and remember I was about to leave after waiting a good while and he came back a said they couldnt find them but they did find the keys to a new ford diesel with a big discount they had and iif I wanted they would show me the ford while they looked for the keys for the dodge. . It was 20*, I had no coat on, I was cold and I was getting a little aggrivated but said why not. We walked over to a real nice all white ford diesel xlt. He said he would start it up and we could go in and get a coffee while it warmed up. So he unlocks the door getts in and I here click click click click click Ba da da da da Ba da da da da da Ba da da da da Ba puff puff puff ________. Then click click click click BA da da da da Ba da da da da Ba da da da da Puff Puff Ba da da da Puff Puff Puff Puff Puff Puff____________________. This continues as I walked over to my truck. I was freezing by then. I was about to leave when the other salesman comes out and says they found the keys to the dodge. I finally put a coat on while he gives the keys to the other guy. We walked over to the ram. Mind you he hasnt said a single word since he said he was gonna start the ford. He unlocks it, brushes the snow off the door, Gets in, I think on purpose, He doesnt let the grid heat up and cranks it over. I dont think the starter made a full revolution and the cummins lit up. I laughed and told him " thats how you sell something without saying a word". We took a ride came back, struck a deal, and I drove home in that ram that day.

 

When I bought the 26' enclosed trailer for my race car, the 1 ton Dodge van developed an overheating problem. Realized about then that I was going in the wrong direction and starting looking for a used diesel. Found the '91 a couple months later and never looked back.

 

My parents never had a Mercedes in the early '70s but, the Mercedes diesels caught (and held) my attention. Since then I have wanted a diesel vehicle and being a redneck and living rural a diesel pickup was only natural. Ed B

 

Always had Dodge gasser trucks, got my 2002 5.9 gasser QC and after 4yrs I grew tired of the 10.5mpg commutes, doggish power, lack of towing potential, and I wanted a vehicle that would be with me for 10+ yrs so we started researching the Diesels, really never looked into anything but the Cummins being we were always a Dodge family. Just happened to be at the same time as the great 2006 Dodge sale, so we got our Cummins for 7k more than we paid for our 2002 gasser and never looked back. Kept the gasser as a spare vehicle until we decided to sell her this past October/November.

I use mine as a daily driver but I did the same with our gassers so the size was never an issue, the long warm-ups are no longer an issue (Plug-in/High-idle). I fill-up every 2 weeks instead of weekly, I don't need passing gear to climb the passes around here anymore, my fuel mileage is 6-7mpg better city/highway. I can feel comfortable towing something now, I can get a half-cord without my bumper dragging.

For all the drawbacks of owning a Diesel, to me, they easily outweigh a gasser...

 

I've been driving diesels since I was 16 and got my first vehicle from my dad kinda as a "hand me down". It was a 1982 Chevy LUV diesel pickup and it used to be a work truck he used for 3-4 years until the 5-speed manual trans blew in it. We put a used replacement trans in it from a junkyard and I basically drove it 100,000+ miles without hardly any mechanical work. I still think about it today and it's a helluva feeling to have something perform like that and be 20 years old at the same time. Just love that diesel clatter at idle and you couldn't change my mind on switching over to a gasser any day. I've owned only diesel vehicles since and haven't bought one gas vehicle yet. Probably never plan to and I guess I can also say I got the diesel bug from my dad. Prior to owning the LUV he had owned the larger Isuzu NPRs for his plumbing business and he drove an 82 Chevy C30 diesel dump truck for awhile that ended up blowing a head. Drove in a 78 International Scout Traveler, 85 Mercury Lynx, and 81 Datsun Maxima (all diesels) while growing up as a kid. I pretty much had been around them long before I would start driving myself. And right now I work on the big trucks as a technician at a Freightliner dealership. Still can't get over that diesel sound and probably never will!

Salvy

 

You just wrote what I would've. I got a Lego semi when I was 8. It has been in various permutations, but its still built in my parent's basement.

When I was 16, I bought a 97 ranger. That was my driver for 4 years. I was working out of town, driving about 700km a week. I had it lowered, had the 17's on it. Looked good, but was slow, rode poorly (7" drop with no frame notch will do that) and the mileage wasn't that great. Driving on the highway, was passing a semi and just heard the turbo whistling away. Stayed next to him for a minute or so just listening. Then carried on my way home. By the time I arrived home, I decided I was gonna get a diesel. Even though I'm a Ford guy (or used to be), I knew the score when it came to diesel's, so a Dodge it was gonna be. If I could've had a Cummins in a Ford, thats what I would've bought, but not many of those around here. But thats the next project.

 

Grew up pedalling Massey Fergusons with Perkins diesels in them. When I was too little to pedal Dad worked the pedals and I steered. The sounds and smells and feel of power... its all good.

JP.

 

The guy I use for sit work got me into diesels in '95, bought a '92 F350 7.3,
with the loads i was carrying, my mileage almost doubled, was a good truck,
put over 150K of hard miles on that beast. Never going back to gas on my trucks, on my 3rd diesel (1st Dodge).

 

I got into diesels very early with my Dad and Uncle, both truckers.

 

I was looking for a 3/4 ton truck and had been nothing but a loyal GM(gas) man for years. I was trying to buy a brand new but two year old GMC and that GM dealer must of had some kind of sentimentel attachment to that truck, anyway I was bored and decided to drive a Dodge diesel and haven't looked back. That meatheaded GM dealer lost a loyal follower, been driving Dodges ever since and IF I ever wear this Dodge diesel out it will diffently be replaced with another one.

 

Trucks for me, as with alot of you guys also is a first love really. grew up farming with an 84 and 86 F250 4x4 diesel 5 speeds. I bought my first truck at 14.It was 84 f250 two wheel auto. I have had one of every model year Ford has made except new 6.4. All of them were used except the 04 F350 qc 4x4 6speed with a hillsboro alum flatbed. The 6.0 was a awsome truck except for the motor. Three turbos, two ecm plus numerous flashes and about 4 sets of injectors, multiple tow bills and calls to old man to come get gooseneck with old trusty 86 got rid of it and bought first gen cummins. Now i got the one in the sig. and didnt realize what power and tourqe was. But it too still breaks down so it really all in the love for my toys. Actually, i think it is a sickness