Front Drive Shaft Update

[Logsplitter]

Check gearbox casting for hairline cracks. Your gearbox has taken a hit on one of the screws that fixes the plastic pan in place.
First photo is your gearbox pan indicated with red mark. My pan impact I’ve indicated with a green mark.

 

[Rab]

It looks like there is a good chance the circlip is still in the space behind the cv joint, but you would need to split the back off the joint to get it out.

 

[landmannnn]

What's everybody's thoughts about fitting a driveshaft retaining/safety loop?

They seem to be widely available often as a "universal" kit.
The position of the transmission cross member wouldn't make a difficult fit.

Just a random picture