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Decided to give Warhammer 40k a whirl after reading the battle primer. I'm coming from Warmachine where the rules on modifying miniatures were pretty spelled out (at least 50% of volume as orignal, most keep same weapon type, etc.) but can't find any mention of similar rules for Warhammer. Can I use alternate miniatures? How much can I modify a miniature before it's no longer legal for Tourney play?

I'd say it mostly depends on your gaming club. Obviously if you're playing with just friends or at home games, people should generally accept alternative models as long as they are on the correct base size. Always ask your friends however if its ok to sub in models and just make it easy to keep track of what is what.

Never having played in a tourney myself, I would imagine most settings like that (and probably even most games workshop stores) want you to use official models with official pieces.

My advice would be if you plan on going the tournament route, stick to GW products.

You can do pretty much what you want as long as the model has roughly the right gear. Many GW sponsored events have restrictions about using non-GW model and parts, but as long as you use GW bits and the there is no confusion about the weapons, it's fine. (And of course outside GW events and stores, you can use any models and bits you like.)

There is, for example, no need for a Space Marine Captain to be represented by a model sold under that name, you can pretty much take any Space Marine model, glue right weapons on him and use him as a captain.

Is there some specific conversions you're pondering?

General idea is this:

1.) Has to be roughly the same size as the original model and on a base that's the same as the original. Wings, banners and stuff are a bit forgivable, but something with a bigger/smaller torso or legs will be an issue (no matter how you word it, a Noise Marine with legs more slender than Dark Eldar Wyches will raise some eyebrows).

2.) The weapons are either good approximations or identical to that of the model's available wargear. General rule is that you can always put more stuff on, but not less than what you're gonna take (so your captain can be modeled with a power fist without having to take one in the rules, but if you take one in the rules you better have a power fist modeled on him).

3.) It'd better look awesome. Even if it's legal, people will have a problem with something that looks like it just had half your bitzbox glued to it. conversely, sometimes people will be more lenient if it looks cool enough (such as Exodites using dinosaurs for their mounts instead of jetbikes or a giant mutant wulfen instead of a wolflord on thunderwolf mount).

As for percentages, for GW stores it's eitehr 60 or 70%, depending on how the manager is feeling. Other stores generally don't care, and there have been people playing 40k without ever buying a single GW miniature.

GW hasn't been involved in the tournament scene for several editions, and even now as they re-engage it seems to be more from a support and cheerleading stance.

Given that, most of the major competitive 40k events have no rule on where your models come from; in fact so many of these events are even sponsored by "3rd party" miniature companies.

I think you're totally fine customizing your models, however it would make sense to make sure whatever you make, can reflect some 'rules legal' unit/weapon/loadout... like a hand pistol that is supposed to be a sniper-rifle wouldn't fly for example.

Mecha's #2 is variable. Sometimes it is the oposite:you can have it not shown, but if it is on the model you had better have it.

The best way to go is full WYSIWYG(What You See Is What You Get) except for some default gear.

For a long time Chaos marines had bolter, bolt pistol, and chainsword default gear, but not anywhere near the bitz to represent those weapons. So many players would just have a unit with a mix of those weapons displayed(one-handed bolter and a pistol or chainsword, pistol and chainsword, and two-handed bolter) same went with space wolves grey hunters even though they had the option to buy the chainsword.

As said it all depends on your group or the TO; WYSIWYG varies dramatically. Count-as is generally under both "rule of cool" and "keep it consistent". And finally TOs may or may not allow all sorts of strange conversions or count-as(I have personally brought sections of banister cut cut to length and with a sloped fron as chimeras to a tournament without a problem).

Apologies, I should have clarified that #2 was mainly for optional wargear. However the model's main weapons generally should be there. The bolter/pistol/sword combo is one of those weird exceptions. Generally the model should at least have two of the weapons modeled on them if you find it impossible to put all of them on (the chosen from DV actually has a pretty cool way of modeling all three weapons, but it is in no way practical for most people).