Sometimes you can open the trunk using a small straight-blade screwdriver to turn the mechanism behind that opens the trunk. If there is no hole/the hole is too small/or there is no mehcanism that you can see then you might have to access through the back seat area. If there were a dead body it would be smelling by now.
As for the tranny, ask him what country he comes from, that might give you a clue.........er, umm did you mean transmission? Oh ok. The easiest way would be to take a photo and post it, many of our members could probably recognize it right away for you. Good luck.
edit: I just realized you already have a picture of the tranny. I looked at it again and it looks to me to be a TH400. That orange looking round device, is that a vacumm dashpot? If it is then you have a TH400.