FUCK NO. stay away brother. i own a stealth and i would not own a first gen for a couple reasons.
Transfer cases have problems, less splines, lifter tick, less power, heavier than newer gens. the list goes on.
these cars cost a lot of money to maintain, but they are fun as shit to drive!
edit: 99 lifters will fix your problem since you're already looking to rebuild. Also, parts for these cars are more rare and expensive compared to say an eclipse.
EDIT x2....if its not a vr4 then i would look elsewhere. if you dont want to turbo then i would look for an SOHC engine for a couple reasons. one being its non interference. second being the DOHC non turbo isnt fast and is over rated on the power ratings. id rather have an under rated sohc at 165 hp then an over rated 220 hp.
in a nutshell....not worth it, especially the amount of money you would put into it to only be a 220hp car. Look around and you can find a better deal. join 3si.org/forum for more answers to your questions.
btw the splines and power loss i was talking about above was directed towards a vr4 so disregard that. sorry