are these hard to come by or difficult to replace ?
I wouldnt think these are difficult to come by as there are plenty of these cars in wrecking yards these days. The removal and installation, however, can be a somewhat difficult task as the transmission has little clearance between the rear of the transmission and the firewall. Also, the transmission is very awkward and wont balance right even on a transmission jack. Basically, what you would do is remove the two motor mounts on the sides of the transmission, let the motor and transmission hang down to give you access to the bellhousing bolts for removal. After having removed/disconnected everything related to the transmission, including the final drive mounted to front, remove the transmission from the vehicle. The engine will be supported by the front mount and the exhaust system at that point. The other option, especially if you dont have access to a lift and transmission jack, is to remove the engine and transmission together as an assembly out the top of the vehicle. Ive done it both ways, depending on the tools available.
I have one from an 82 eldo ,in Phoenix, that only had 19k act mi. Car had excessive damage on rt side so I parted it out. Interior is a rust color...engine is sold. azblink@yahoo.comm