Also, what are the chances of being able to pull a transmission off the vehicle with just jackstands and/or cinder blocks? I have a manual on how to disassemble it, but am curious about the clearance required (inches between the ground and the bottom of the chassis) in order for the tranny to be able to slide out from underneath (on some sort of jack).

Is there a typical amount of hours it would take a novice to remove the transmission? I'm just trying to get a feel whether to do it sooner or put it off for later and focus on the other car for the time being.