If you haven't done it before maybe abit longer then, give yourself say an hour longer if it's your first go.
Spring compressors are needed for the front struts. The rears are easy, just a case of jacking the car up and undoing the bolts on the dampers (if replacing them too, top nut aswell. But do the bottom nuts at the same time and the springs will drop out just put something underneath the hub so that the axle doesn't drop too much and shear the brake lines.
The fronts are just as easy, except you take the whole unit out instead. Then seperate the springs later, some advice with compressors. Don't go mad tightening them up, get them at the least tension you can get away with, less dangerous that way. Believe me, a coil spring halfway down the road because the compressor slips, is NOT fun!
I did mine on my own and it took me a full day, I've done spring changes before aswell....the 197 was just a complete bitch of a job! The shocks don't just pull out after everything is unbolted because the wishbone hits the subframe. Have to either unbolt the hub and pull that out with the shock or lower the subframe.
Yep, thats what I did (See my guide in the how to section) but others have managed to do it other ways. Some say the shocks pull straight out after undoing all the shock bolts, some choose to remove the hub/shock assembly.
I've just been thinking about having a set of Cup springs and dampers to swap over to at each trackday hence my wondering how long it might take.
Having said that, I'm at a Cliosport trackday on 7th June so there'll be plenty of chances to see if the Cup setup makes any real difference on track.
I doubt it will, it's more about the feel I think. Hoping to blag a drive in someone's Cup specced 200 so I can see back to back if swapping over would be worthwhile.