What on earth is all that grunge at the bottom of the strut in the top pic? I hope you took the pic after driving through a mud puddle or you've got more problems than just mismatched struts!
Replacing the strut isn't a difficult job. Top nut in the trunk area, ball joint at the bottom held in with a double wedge bolt, and you'll have to remove the caliper, wheel hub, and tie rod end from the strut. If you need to remove the ball joint from the control arm, gawd help ya.
