popsprocket said:

Okay, so no one really wants to come and do the welding on my car and I can't get anyone from a legitimate body shop to come out to quote me before I stick it on a tow truck and send it away.

So at the moment dad is inclined to do the welding ourselves because:
a) he wants a welder
b) it's cheaper for me and we both end up learning how to weld

He knows plenty about welders and has a clear idea of what he wants to buy.

Am I better off spending the $100 each way to take the car to a body shop to get quotes on the welding? I mean the worst that can happen with the welding is we have to take it to a body shop and have them fix it anyway right?

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MartZ0r said:

Buy the gear

what thickness is the metal that needs welding? welding is easy just always make sure you penetrate the metal, evern if its messy (neatness will come over time). always make sure the edges of the welds are fused and dont look like they are just sitting ontop if they are grind off and start again. a good way to check if its strong is a hammer (don't go nuts with it).

get yourself a decent mask too if you can, an automatic blacking one saves yourself a lot of hassle.

As for the worst that can happen, driving down a motorway and having a weld crack isn't great, so if in doubt have the welds checked after your done or take pics and post on here.

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