I'm left handed, we have a right handed guitar.. so I've been teaching myself to play guitar right handed. I'm getting pretty good now (i can play more than a feeling and dream on). but i want to play it lefty... and left handed guitars are impossible to find.. so

my question is... jimi hendrix was lefty and he just swithched the strings on a righty guitar to make it a lefty.. that would solve my problem, but would it mess up the guitar?

If Jimi could play what he played on a righty, then it must be OK!!!! Seriously, you'll be fine, it just looks different. I've tried it and it was the same (but the strings were the other way round).

Not if you do it right. simply restring it backwards and if it wont fit then just use a knife to widen the nut.