just another idea i just had: could i mount the components on the bottom of a wood table, and have extender cables on all the ports come through a hole or something? or maybe a shelf. that'd be realyl cool...

I like the sound of that! You could fit it all into one of ikea's floating shelves! or make a similar custom one!
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20103752

Well i have this book case built into my wall right next to my desk, I was thinking about drilling some holes in the bottom of a shelf to match the mounting screws of the mobo, and then just attach it there. get some extension cables for all the ports on it and make some holes through the side of the book case to thread them through. I think it could work, but I'm really not sure.

Plus im still living with my parents, and i'm not sure they'd go for me drilling a lot of holes through a shelf just for mounting a computer i don't use....dammit....

i think i'll start with a cardboard box mod, since i haven't done any serious case modding ever before, and i'd like to start small. can anyone tell me the rough size of an imac mobo?

The cardboard idea is fine but I wouldn't just toss it into a box. I would make it look like a case. I found this and thought I would share it.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2005/10/cardboard_pc_ca.html

mxlews is right since the CRT still works. When it dies you would have some killer ideas ready though.

Well maybe i'll do the internal upgrades and use it as a media server until the crt starts to die, then i'll change the case a lot.

what's a reasonable price for a power mac g3?

If the B&W has all of it's parts I would say 50 aswell. If it's missing 1 or 2 things like memory or a video card I would say 25.

Hmm. Well it'd be cool to get a b&w to mod and stuff...i don't know really. maybe i'll upgrade the imac and use it as a backup server, and then maybe get a b&w to do something cool.