too late. if it fails on the last day you’ll have to leave it there for repair, or arrange for it to be trailered away…
Nope, you can legally drive an MOT-less car to and from a testing centre. It can get very complicated if it goes out of tax or insurance though, and also remember that you can still be charged with driving an unroadworthy vehicle (not all MOT fails are automatically unroadworthy, not all MOT-passes are roadworthy)
https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q600.htm
I’m a believer in making it look right too… It’s kind of faith-based this, but the only fail I’ve ever had was on the motorbike. It had a bunch of non-MOT issues as a result of a minor falling-over, and general encrusted winter filth. It also had the same 2 fails it always had- an illegal HID headlight, and an exhaust measured on the richter scale.
Took it in to the same tester that did it every year before and after, he failed those 2. Every other time, when I took it in polished and shiny, he said “That sounds ****ing brilliant” and “That’s a good idea that headlight, normal motorbike lights are shit”
So I reckon, if it looks bad it’s more likely to be treated like it’s bad.