OK, so can someone be so kind as to give me a quick summary on switching an 8-gear Swift from flat bars to drop bars?

I don't have any parts around, so I assume I'd need to get a set of drop bars, some tape, and brifters, presumably 8-speed STI's. Will older / 8-speed 105 STI's work? Will only certain shifters work with the SRAM SX 4 derailleur (1:1)? Do I need to change the brakes?

And how good of wrenching skills do I need to swap the stuff out? I can do some things like disassemble the bike, tweak the brakes etc without any major problems.