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If you are looking at mid range wire welders (mig), TIG machines, and Plasma Air Cutters, you have to look at the Panasonic Gunslinger 260P offering.

This is a serious mig welder for any metal that can be welded with the MIG process. This includes beautiful welds on aluminum (up to 3/16" thichness) by using a spool gun. And its also a powerful AIR PLASMA CUTTER for cutting, piercing, and gouging. With the MK spoolgun the hole thing runs about $3500 and can run efficiently on single phase 230 volt household power. This is progress, Thingers!

http://www.panasonicfa.com/cgi-bin/prod ... inger_260p .

Sure would be nice! But the fact is that most of us do not have that kind of money to work with. In fact I do`nt know about you guys but I did`nt even pay that much for my CAR! If a person is willing he will be able to get the job done on a much tighter budget. Let me give you an examlpe.
In my own case earlier this year with the aid of a wire fed welder costing no more than a couple hundred dollars and a small pile of raw materials( mostly square and rect tubing w/some angle iron) purchased from the local metal supply shop for a total of $90.
I began by doing a complete disassembly of the car. Body came off pan. Beam w/tie rods and steering came off with it. Rear arms and transaxle were removed as well. The pan was stripped to bare metal. All bad areas removed ( w/ $8 Harbor Freight grinder). New metal sections including a half pan were fabricated and welded into place. Then all was painted with POR -15.
The beam was then disassembled and cut into sections. Adjusters were welded in and additional tubing to create a total of 6 inches width increase. Tie rod length was extended by welding heavy tubing where needed. Steering brackets were fabricated to accomodate relocated steering box. Steering shaft was sectioned and two universals were welded in to allow for the relocation of the box. Bumper brackets were fabricated and welded to the beam so that a sturdy front bumper could be mounted in such a way so as to actually PROTECT the nose of the car All again was coated in POR-15.
In the rear 2X3 trailing arms were fitted. This called for relocating the transaxle . To do this I fabricated mounts and installed a pyramid (5-rib) bus transaxle.The bowden tube bracket was modified and welded to accept the new arrangement. Also the throttle cable weld had to be broken, relocated and rewelded. Again everything in POR-15
Before the body was ready to be refitted to the pan numerous sections were removed. New pieces were fabricated and welded into place. At that time I used two inch by five inch recrangular tubing welded under the body to make a permanent body lift of three inches. The rect tubing was first welded to the body after channeling it two inches then six inch by eight inch pieces if 1/8" sheet metal was welded to that and then welded into fender wells front and rear. For the front and rear three inch rect tubing was cut and contoured (chop saw) to conform to curves of pan and body. Additional body mounting tabs were fabricated and welded to the tubing and used original fasteners. Again everything in POR-15.
Since seats need to be relucated after such a lift this was done by fabricating a framework from rect tubing and angle. The mounts were welded from the tunnel and crossed over to the 3X5 rect tubing welded to lower body. It could not have been stronger unlike the slimsy slide in arrangement . The entire lower interior was once again done on POR-15.
The rear would now require new upper and lower shock mounts to tie the extended arms to the lifted body. I did this by fabricating and welding again the 1/8" metal plate to either side of the subframe and then with a one inch drill went through that with heavy wall pipe (one inch OD X 3/8 ID) and this was welded as well front and rear. On the lower shock mount the same heavy wall tubing was welded to the lower arm to facilitate fastening shock. All was coated in POR-15.
The rear bumper was stripped of all attachments and Thing brackets were welded to it so as to bolt directly to the car after reenforsing the subframe . At this time I fabricated a set of motor mounts (also added T-4 engine so was a must do) that were welded into the bumper brackets. Again it is very strong and PROTECTIVE. More POR-15.
All of this consuned about two weeks and really no cash outlay to speak of.
You know the old saying "its not what you`ve got but how you use it".
The results can be seen right here on the 181 Thing Gallery thread. Plus a before photo over there somewhere for comparison. Best of luck to you all. Bob Ingman