You're willing to spend money on a new arm, but balk at the price of a new armboard?!
I took the arm mounting plate for my VPI Aries into a good plastics supply house/fabrication shop, and had them make a new one to the stock one's exact specs. Parts (1" thick acrylic) and labour, under fifty bucks.
Take the advice of @vair68robert and look into the Audiomods Series 6 arm.