Cost of fixing a 240SX?

[100%efficiency?]

My friend has a 240sx SE manual trans hatchback and is in very bad condition. Here're the problems:
1. The sunroof is missing.
2. The interior is horrible. (wore out seats, the dash is fine though)
3. It leaks steering fuilds and will overheat when left idle.
4. Some paint also wore out on the exterior. Need new paint!
5. Definitely need new tires. I can drift at 25mph with no brakes :P
*6. There are no rust! I checked everywhere!

It starts everytime and it seems to be fine during the ride. He got this car from his father and now he is selling it to me for less than 1G.
I want to fix those problems along with a new interior and new paint. I'm not a ricer so all I want is a decent looking car that can run smoothly. I don't even care if it use aftermarket parts! I reckon with some tools I can do some labor myself, but note that I don't have a garage.
SO HERE'S THE QUESTION:
How much $$ am I expecting to spend on the car---
1. Send it to a body shop to fix all the problems I mentioned?
2. To buy parts, including new brakes disk/pads/suspension/exhaust/radiator/time belt/tires.
*3. I'm in Los Angeles, near marina/Santa Monica area, can anyone give me a recommendation on some good bodyshops nearby?

Yup, just about everyting... I many not end up buying all of them, but I want to know what budget range should I be looking at. There's no need to be very specific, all I want is a rough guess!
Thanks in advance

[Greenblurr93]

ok, the sunroof may be costly, unless u rivet metal in to fill it.... the overheating is prolly the fan... junkyard.. not too bad... maybe 50-100 depending on condition. tires.. anywhere from 260 - 1000, depending on brand.. and yes you get what u pay for with tires.... etc, etc.. all in all to get this car back to quality... 2500- 3000... <-- keep in mind that a VERY rough estimate and that should fix what u listed.

[travis712]

Paint is going to cost you a lot. Believe me. I was quoted over 2 grand for a full job(labor,paint,sand,prime,paint.).thats just for a base coat, and they wet sand.

[D-Bo]

1) $200
2) $400
3) $1500
4) $4000
5) $400
6) GREAT!

add it up and you have enough to buy another 240 with a good engine, decent paint (that doesn't need to be repainted) and a decent interior that doesn't need to be redone..

so screw this car and find a used one somewhere else..

[Hit_N_Run-player]

if the guys says hes gonna give it to you, then you might have a deal. But you can find a nice manual 240 if you look for only 2500-3000 without repairing it at all. just be patient and look around. No way would i ever buy that car for 1000$ though.

[100%efficiency?]

Grrr..... So this is a no-go huh? If it's going to cost me more than $3000 to repair it, I'd rather get a new one.
Thanks guys! It's been a great help to me!

[D-Bo]

haha new one.. thats kind of a 'per se' idea.. but yeah depending on where you live you might be lucky enough to find an s14 with a blown motor.. you might get away with buying a new one and a new engine since the ka's are pretty cheap.. if not then go s13, which i love, cause i have one, they're great..

[Autofreefindersguy]

Yep, I would also pass on that one...You can find nice clean cars easy for $2500-$3500...

[Hit_N_Run-player]

not 240's anymore, damn the drift fad!

[DWF Engineering]

If the body just needs paint that can be like $500, if it needs dents removed: $3000. Sunroof will be about $125 used. Seats are probably about the same. Tires are about $75 each for just a decent H rated (130 mph). The over heating is probably related to the red sensor at the passenger side of the head, about $25, though it could be a problem in the fan itself or the thermostat. Impropper ignition timing caould also be the culprit. The power steering fluid leak is probably at either the hose or the fitting on the steering rack (my 240 has 234K miles and the PS pump is still fine though I had a leaky fitting), hose or fitting should be less than $25. OEM replacement brake disks: $30 each. Pads (fr+rr) $30. Suspension: struts $30 each, bushings $100, springs $150, adjustable ride height $400, race suspension $4000. Exhaust: glass pack muffler $50, cat-back system $500. Radiator: brass OEM replacement (better than original) $120, aluminum race $350. Belts: $20.

base investment for car: $1000

high quality, low cost parts to make it run good and nice to sit in but still unpainted (if you're lucky): $900

Best of the parts I mentioned and worst case maintenance and full exterior body work + paint: $10000

These estimates only include body work labor, not parts install labor but most shops are probably $50/hr or more. In other words, dust off your wrenches!

If you're lucky and the only problems you have to fix are the obvious ones you can have a good little car for about $2000 and some personal wrench time (which will help you and your new car bond anyway). If the body is straight This becomes a good deal because most of the 240s in this price range have damage on at least one corner and you still may run into other problems lurking about. If the body is bunged up then its just an average deal for a used 240SX. Either way if you don't mind working on it you'll be fine. I'd go for it.