I want to get my cars MOT'd at a place which doesn't do vehicle repairs for the general public, so they have no incentive to fail it.
People talk of having them done at County Council Transport Depots, but Cambridgeshire don't seem to do them and I'd rather not drive to Bedford for a MOT.
Are there any other 'categories' of establishment that might fit the bill?
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I've heard that there are certian pubs in Cambridhe where in the back room you can get a MOT Certificate for 50 quid no questions asked????????????
But seriously why not submit it to a Garage and tell them it is for test only and report on any faults. Depending on what they come up with, if anything, then you can either check yourself or have it checked out at another garage.
DVD
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Local bus depot, or a nearby HGV testing station.
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Yellow pages? Around here there are a number of places that only do MOT's - not related to council testers - just businesses that just MOT test.
Also have a look on www.motuk.co.uk/database/search_data.htm
Martin
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I use National who charge half price for MOTs and send a reminder that it's due just under 12 months later, again at half price.
The testing (two to date on my November 1999 VW Bora) has always been scrupulous and there has never been any attempt to "find" work as a result of the test.
In fact the current tester previously worked at a franchised VW garage and passed on a number of useful hints and tips as he conducted the test.
What's more you get Tesco Clubcard points as well....:-))
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Just been to the National website for a little browse around - no participating station near me unfortunately.
Interestingly, their advertising on the subject of oil & filter changes says that recent environmental legislation has effectively put a stop to DIY oil changes. I think this is misleading and inaccurate. Council waste recycling centres (tips, dumps, whatever you call them) provide a facility for members of the public to dispose of oil free of charge.
Another example of certain trades trying to secure legislation (or here, lie about non-existent legislation) that gives them a captive market.
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Another example of certain trades trying to secure legislation (or here, lie about non-existent legislation) that gives them a captive market.
I was surprised to find out they're right:
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/processes/63...r
Oil filters? Straight into dustbin wrapped in newspaper ? Of course I never do that.
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I also use National for oil and filter changes (Duckhams semi-synthetic) for my Bora.
At a cost of £15 I can't buy the oil and filter for that price, never mind having to get dirty and get rid of the old oil and filter afterwards at the local council tip/recycling centre.
The National staff do the work very thoroughly (takes about half-a-hour) and even provide some topup oil for future use; never needed to use it yet though.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I was going to use National for their £15 oil and filter change until I discovered that 'Any car or van up to 2300cc' actually means 'Any car or van up to 2300cc except if you drive a Ford, in which case get lost, but we don't tell you this until you pitch up'.
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My used engine oil is very handy to get a bonfire going. (Addendum - I live on a farm, not your local council estate!!)
You could try writing "MOT test car" or something similar in the dirt under your car to ensure a scrupulous test...
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In Lancashire, I'm pretty sure the Lancashire Ambulance Service do MOTs on a commercial basis.
A ambulance service local to you may do the same?
Brian
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There is a place in High Wycombe where they do MOT's only, my Dad always takes his cars there over the years & myself too! The only work they do as well is change bulbs or adjusting them in that matter.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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there used to be an mot only test station in haverhill ,dont know if its still there ,search mot test haverhill
yes I know its in suffolk but depending on your area it might not be too far away.hope you get a pass ticket.
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How can it possibly take half an hour to change the oil?
Granted, I tend to go and do something else for about that length of time to ensure that every last drop drains, but do National do the same?
I agree the price is hard to beat. But I can just about match it on my cars, and I have the reassurance of knowing I've done it properly.
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>>How can it possibly take half an hour to change the oil?>>
Because, as I stated, the job is done properly. The oil is left to drain out completely after the oil filter (awkward to reach because of the airdam) has been removed.
Once this is completed, the oil filter thread and surrounding area is thoroughly cleaned, including the rear of the air dam if dirty oil has caught it when the old filter has been removed and then the new filter is attached.
Much of the time is then spent carefully checking the dipstick whilst gradually adding the last litre or half-litre of oil to prevent inadvisable overfilling; I'm then given some top up oil. The first time this happened I was told it was because I was paying for up to five litres and was entitled to it.
I also think that part of the reason might be that my Bora is always spotless when it's taken in for attention or oil changes and it seems to affect how carefully the work is done; probably a misconception, but it seems to pay off...:-)
Another is that the staff themselves are car nuts - one young member of staff, for instance, pays nearly £250 a month to insure his rather special and apparently very quick Ford Focus.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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It's always hard to find a reputable place to have one's car MOT'd - but I go with the concensus here that Local Authority places are usually best. And as far back as I can recall my Father always had his cars done there - and never once was there a problem. As a Police Officer myself, I find that my Force has in house workshop facilities where they will also MOT Officer's cars. So much easier ;)
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Graham,
Which bit of Cambs do you live in? I can recommend a place near Huntingdon if this would be convenient.
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Truckosaurus,
I live just outside Huntingdon, anywhere you could recommend would be most helpful.
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It's the Offord Motor Company down in Offord D'arcy.
www.offord.com for contact details.
They specialise in TVRs and Saabs but are very good value. A top level of customer service too.
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Thanks for the recommendation - from their website they look like a very professional setup.
But for the moment, I really am intent of finding somewhere that does tests and tests only.
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Fair enough. But if you have no joy, then Offord's are the place to go, they'd be as fair as you could get, and are Old School enough to do small jobs gratis for us regular punters.
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