Robots (Physical Ones)

So /proggles/, lately I've been getting into building robots and remotely operated vehicles, and I have a problem.

I just can't fucking hardware. I'd consider myself a pretty witty/competent programmer, but I've never really done a project where I need to figure out how to power and operate motors (or even what sort of motors to purchase).

I know I can use an Arduino or something similar for microcontrolling, that's not an issue, but do any of you guys build robots/remotely operated vehicles? If so, are you aware of any guides to hardware that you can share?

Let's see.  Given the above:

T = total price per project
f = upfront investment
n = quantity needed
p = price per unit

f + np = T

$100.00 + 3 *  $0.15 = $100.15
  $0.00 + 3 * $50.00 = $150.00

This confirms my suspicions that the Arduino is for dilettante wankers who are easily led by marketing, and too stupid to use anything else.