Insurance and car scrappage, new driver help pls?

Yes you can do that it is not illegal. You could be on Holiday for all the insurance company knows. However, i would not go too much on what Halfords say. They , like Kwikfit, are known for trying to get you to pay for things that are unnecessary. Why don't you put it through it's MOT and see what it will actually cost to put things right. If you wait until the MOT runs out you will be lucky to get £50 scrap for it.

Present it for MOT a month before it is due. If it passes, you get the month added on, so your expiry date doesn't change. If it fails, at least you have a bit of time before you make your decision. I agree though, there are places that rip off innocent motorists at MOT time. You do realise that your tyres only need a minimum 1.6mm of tread, your brakes only need a minimum of 1.5mm friction materials, that kind of thing. If you have plastic wheel trims on, it's possible they may never be able to see the brakes, as long as you make sure the lights work, there's water in the washer bottle, all the doors open, etc, it may well pass unless there's an obvious defect. The MOT is a visual inspection that is carried out without dismantling. Sure, we should all maintain our cars to the highest standard, but money's tight. Why replace something just because a bloke says so? Don't do it until it needs it. How does he know it NEEDS a lot of work? A service inspection is a different calibre of inspection. The manufacturer sets minimum limits that are different to the Government limits. The only way someone can tell you if something WILL fail a test, is if they are a qualified tester, AND carrying out the Test at that time. Relax... it may well pass.

Agree with just William. As for the Hairy person, yes a mechanic may be ripping you off, or potentially so, but at this stage he has not a clue where you would go to get this work done, it might not be with him. On the other hand he may have seen things during the course of servicing or repairing the car which he is confident will result in an MOT fail - for example - chassis corrosion near to suspension mounting is a bit of a no-brainer.

You do not have to tell them. What they can never know will not ever hurt you or them.

I'd keep that car until you get your new car so you can transfer the plates and then you won't have a lapse in coverage.