I used an ac/dc hobart buzz box, a simple air cooled tig torch and 75/25 gas for decades before I upgraded to my Lincoln 225 precision tig. There are high freq adapters that you can add to the buzz box for dirt cheap if you are on a serious budget, and it would weld 1/4" aluminum or 4130 all day long.

1941 Taylorcraft
1968 Charger
1994 Wrangler
1998 Wrangler
2008 Kia Rio
2017 Jetta

I didn't do 4 years and 9 months of Graduate School to be called Mister!