Personally I would look for a mid 90's 2nd gen dodge cummins. You could find an xtra cab 2wd 5speed in your price range fairly easy just takes some looking. Remember with a v8 diesel you have to deal with the extra parts ie, injectors, pistons, ect and the electronic parts cost more than the mechanical 12v cummins parts. Since you are looking at higher mileage trucks take that stuff into serious consideration. Plus being a 2wd cummins you will get 20mpg or better unloaded, thats from experiance. I am bias to a cummins so take it with a grain of salt, but with a cummins you get reliability, easier to work on, and better power/easier modified than any other diesel.
