I would hardly call an MOT failure for a faulty bulb a blight on the car’s MOT history 
I think there are far more concerning MOT failure reasons to be worried about.
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In N.I. all MOT’s are carried out at a government facility, no garages here carry out MOT’s. As much as we moan about it, I think it’s actually a good thing. You try your best to ensure the car is 100% before you take it down for the test to be carried out. Others just take it down, see what it fails on then gets those problems fixed as they see a retest as a cheap way of avoiding unnecessary work being carried out by an unscrupulous garage. My MX5 had an unblemished record until a couple of years ago when between leaving the house with everything in perfect working order, driving 2 miles to the centre and getting an advisory for the horn not working. Unbelievably a wire came off the horn in those 2 miles !!
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
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Did you need any councilling afterwards 
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My flabber was gasted when I press the button and no noise came forth. I thought it was going to be a fail…I would have needed therapy for that scenario !!!
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As I am sure all MOT testers will tell you, the test is a test of the vehicle as presented, it is not a “I’ll fix that and that and it will be OK.” If the vehicle has no faults, then it is recorded as no faults. If it has a blown bulb then that is what is recorded, same as worn brake pads or structural corrosion.
Does it make it a better car if the bulb was changed 10 minutes before the test rather than 10 minutes after?
If you have your car welded before a test so it passes and is not recorded as ever having failed, is this better fix than failing and then having it fixed? What is need is for it to be right.
There are plenty of sheds submitted for MOT tests, there is absolutely no need to be making up failures and advisories for test centres to reach quotas.
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I don’t quite understand why so many cars are driven around with broken light bulbs, and/or with misaligned light beams, without being stopped by the cops.
An MOT centre would not let you drive away without replacing a failed bulb first, we know, but aren’t they also supposed to make sure the beams are correctly adjusted?
Last night I was followed for a while by an Audi that had one blown low beam in one headlight, and the other headlight was permanently on high beam.
Was right up my bumper too.
And a company car we have at work was an MOT pass despite having a failed ABS sensor and headlights not lighting up high enough (in both low and high beams). I insisted my boss got those issues fixed, which took 3 trips back to the garage…
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Justt out of interest, what is the number of your 25 th AE
I have 941
The trick with this repair will be competent fading with “seasoned” mica paint and not so much a new wing whether a wing from an identical car can be found or not. It was hardly common back in it’s day.
Good luck with it anyway.
Mine is 409 or 199 in Hexadecimal
It seems to me that these days many car owners use the MOT test instead of the service indicator and rely on “luck” rather than looking after the vehicle. I’ve known folk who complain that their car failed simply because there was no fluid in the windscreen washer reservoir! This should be on everyone’s weekly check list.
Prior to the test (or any other time) it’s not difficult to walk around the car and check all the lights and other test items are working properly.
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I note someone else back a few contris is a N Irish driver, the scene here within the abysmal MOT centres is quite ridiculous. my MX5 has been booked since Feb for initially a test at Easter that was changed to June ,waiting on parts, SO currently I have 3 cars 2 due booked for mid June 4 mths ago and one about to be due and when booking it 3 weeks back I was given the first test that suited me 25th September so those that need their car have to drive sans tax, the police are aware of the stupid MOT centres issues and giving folk a wave on, there’s no such thing here as immediate on demand test we use the same test as the rest of UK yet some centres are setting their own harsher stds… I will not chase around at 9 am every day for days looking for an open cancellation maybe 60 miles away costing me more than the 30.50 I have already thrown out sorry thats 3 x 30.50… and Swansea don’t care , but they would hassle and book you for no tax using camera in static vans… they have cameras everywhere yet none actually working , the depts can’t afford the running and maintenance costs…ALL MY VEHICLES ARE INSURED…W.