I think it's a shock rather than a strut so is replacement simple as:

Removal:
Undoing the upper nut
Removing the lower bolt(s)
Pulling shock out

Install:
As above in reverse.

Thanks

Also cant believe how cheap shocks are. A couple of KYB's for £105 posted. Cheaper than a Tora on sale.

buy the Haynes manual for the car, all you'll ever need to know and they're about £15 ish.

Not that simple mate, you will need to remove the complete thing (inc spring) bear in mind that nuts & bolts will proably be siezed and the bottom arms will have tension on them, you'll need some spring compressors to enable spring removal before you can exchange the Strut, seek some professional advice!

+1 for a coil spring compressor. Dont even think about it without one.

And do both of them…..

I thought they were a shock and not a strut so would not need a spring compressor. Will crawl under for a look if it ever stops raining.

Ta all

They are McPherson front strut mate, you will need a spring compressor.

andy, i might be getting my terminology confused but i dont think they are macpherson strut as they have some multi link funky suspension which is one of the cars few trump cards.

one bad thing though is that they get play in the links which makes itself known with slight knocking, you can buy pattern rebuild kits for the linkages for about £7 or complete links for £25ish (genuine ones are about £150 each inc vat); i know this because i was going do my fathers car last summer.

if you are dismantling the suspension it might be worth doing the links as a precaution as they are a common problem

AP – there is no p11 haynes manual unfortunately. If the op is interested I have the garage manual for it knocking about on cd somewhere from when I had one

There is a haynes manual for the p11, my Dads got one, maybe they don't do one for the later one p11 dash something. I am pretty sure you will need spring compressors as I am pretty sure the spring is mounted on the shock.

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=13031&langId=-1