Thanks for the reply Percymon
Sounds like the MBX6 mount will work OK but might limit the gearing options compared to the proper TRF801 mount. As a $28 gamble it's got to be worth a try though.
I have a friend in California that I go and visit every year so I'll get him to buy the kit & check it over for missing parts, then bring it back with me next time i'm there. Is it a case of individual items being missing from a bag or is it that a whole bag of parts is missing. Just wondering if my friend will have to check through every single item or just check that all the bags are present inside the box?
I agree about the chassis braces, plus they are pretty cheap on Tamiya-USA at the moment.