Question, can you assist?

Hello,

I'm new to the group and new to CNC, etc... I am interested in making
milled aluminum parts for a car and I am looking for the best way to
do this. I have some questions though ... Can you assist?

1. The part I would like to mill is 4.5"(W) x 11"(L) x 1.5"(H), what
small shop size mill can accomodate a part of this size? Shopmaster?

2. Since the item has contour to it, I need to CNC on 3 axis, what is
the best software for laying out the part. I have tried Rhinoceros
and
liked it alot, however in an attempt to convert to G-code, I used the
Aceconverter(DXF-to-G) and then tried both CutViewer & FlashCut to
try
and see if the part would be successfully reproduced. In both cases I
saw that the axis seemed mixed up and all I received was errors.
Is there a secret to laying out parts for 3D milling, and converting?
What ways do you accomplish this? What software do you use?

3. What type of surface finish can be achieved? How smooth can I mill
a curved 3d surface? Should I also aquire something for smoothing and
finishing? I would like to end up with a clean brushed look.

4. What books or materials do you recommend for learning milling? And
CNC? With lots of practice is this something I can expect to
accomplish at home without school training?

Sorry this is so long, your assistance any of these would be
appreciated.

Thanks!

phil