DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically proven locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor that is refractory to standard therapies or for which there are no therapies of potential major benefit
• Measurable disease
• No hematologic malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma
• No symptomatic effusions or ascites unless drained before study entry
• No clinically apparent CNS metastases or carcinomatous meningitis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• WHO 0-1

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3*
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3*
• Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL* NOTE: * Without growth factor support

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if tumor involvement of liver)
• Albumin greater than 2.5 g/dL

Renal:

• Glomerular filtration rate at least 65 mL/min

Gastrointestinal:

• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No radiation enteritis
• No malabsorption syndrome

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No known hypersensitivity to study drugs or related compounds (e.g., LY309887, multi-targeted antifolate, AG-2034, methotrexate, docetaxel, or polyoxyethylated castor oil)
• No active uncontrolled infection unless approved by the investigator
• No other severe concurrent disease that would preclude study therapy
• No body surface area greater than 3.0 m^2
• No known vitamin B12 deficiency

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No concurrent routine or prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF), sargramostim (GM-CSF), or epoetin alfa
• No concurrent biologic-response modifiers

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin, carboplatin, or nitrosourea) and recovered
• No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to 25% or more of bone marrow (e.g., whole-pelvic irradiation)
• No concurrent radiotherapy (including palliative radiotherapy)

Surgery:

• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered

Other:

• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agent
• No more than 2 prior therapies for locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor
• No other concurrent investigational agent
• No concurrent trimethoprim, co-trimoxazole, proguanil, or pyrimethamine