welcome to the party. best thing to do is to sit back and just browse the members build sections. check out some of epicenterdesigns, groundpounder2k2 and the system of the month sections are always a great place to see some truly remarkable stuff.
Once you've stuck around here long enough you'll get what im saying. WE see ten posts a week with a sketchup box or a big plan like this and it never gets done. I even told trippi the same thing before he started the hummer. It just gets old to see people say one thing and do another. If you can use me saying that as motivation then by all means.
openoffice.org and your school can provide it for you. Since Microsoft Office is a copyrighted material I know you werent talking about an illegal download right? I know that can't be the case since its against the rules of the forum.
you're going to be in front of the rear axle so most of the weight will be carried on the frame for the batteries. you wont have rear end sag like that.
I tip just about anyone that provides me a service. not the itre guy or people like that but those that you know are making their money off the tips. Its either 20 or 15 percent. s