Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of neoadjuvant tipifarnib combined with docetaxel and capecitabine in treating patients who have locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors or stage IIIA or stage IIIB breast cancer. Tipifarnib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for cancer cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and capecitabine, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining tipifarnib with docetaxel and capecitabine may kill more tumor cells.