For what the welding shop will likely charge, you can buy a suitable arc or MIG welder. I bought my Century MIG welder from Sam's years ago for a few hundred and I have welded a LOT with it and it still runs fine. I use a situation like yours to justify buying tools. Tools make great christmas presents and Santa will be coming soon. My next purchase will likely be a tube bender from Harbor Freight so I can bend my own exhaust pipes. Not the greatest quality in the world but at just over $100, it will pay for itself in just one job because my local muffler shop will for sure charge me a lot more than $100 to install a dual exhaust system.
