Bob's Mechanical Repairs is a physical workshop in Birnam, Perthshire. We do not have premises in Cheltenham. This page is an independent garage guide written by Bob — no Cheltenham garage is represented here unless a named, verified partner garage is listed on this page. Bob can give written advice on your vehicle by email; the network is still looking for one verified partner garage in Cheltenham.
We're still looking for a Cheltenham garage — but Bob can help today
The network behind this page is a workshop in Birnam, Perthshire recruiting independent garages around the country. A garage only gets named once its application has been reviewed. That has not happened in Cheltenham yet, so no local garage is represented here.
In the meantime you can still use Ask a Mechanic. Describe the symptom, or paste in the quote a Cheltenham garage has given you, and Bob answers in writing — 32 years on the tools, no upsell, because he is not the one doing the work.
Ask Bob about your car — If you run a garage in Cheltenham, you can apply to be the one listed here.
How this guide works
This page is a reference guide, not a booking page for a workshop in Cheltenham. It sets out the typical scope of MOT testing, the price range drivers usually see, and the questions worth asking so you can compare quotes properly.
Availability and the final price always depend on the garage you choose. Anything quoted here is a guide figure taken from typical UK independent-garage pricing, not an offer.
MOT classes explained for Cheltenham drivers
MOT testing in Cheltenham covers Class 4 (cars and light vans up to 3,000kg, DVSA maximum £54.85), Class 5 (minibuses and larger passenger vehicles, 13+ seats) and Class 7 (commercial vans between 3,000kg and 3,500kg, DVSA maximum £58.60). Most drivers need a Class 4 test; van owners should check the plated weight before booking, because a Class 7 vehicle cannot legally be tested on a Class 4 bay.
The published DVSA maximum covers the standard MOT test, including the emissions check. If a garage quotes anything additional, ask for the optional or extra work to be set out in writing. A retest may be free where the vehicle is left for repair and retested within 10 working days, subject to the retest conditions published on GOV.UK. If you are not sure which class your vehicle falls into, check the V5C for the revenue weight rather than guessing from the body shape.
How to choose a garage in Cheltenham
Check the garage is on the DVSA register if you need an MOT, ask whether the technicians are IMI or City & Guilds qualified, and look for recent reviews that mention the same kind of work you need doing.
Ask for a written quote before any work starts, ask whether old parts can be shown to you afterwards, and confirm that servicing will be recorded to the manufacturer schedule so a warranty stays intact. A garage that will not put a price in writing is not worth the risk.
Questions worth asking before you book
Is the quoted price inclusive of parts, labour and VAT? Will diagnostic time be credited against the repair if you go ahead? What happens if extra faults are found once the car is stripped? How long will the car be off the road?
On older vehicles it is also worth asking whether the garage will supply a photo or video of anything they say needs replacing. Some garages can provide this — it is worth asking.
Driving conditions around Gloucestershire
Local roads shape what wears out first. Where you have a lot of stop-start traffic, brakes and clutches go early; on rough rural surfaces it is suspension and tyres; near the coast it is corrosion. Mention the kind of driving you do when you get a quote — it changes what a garage should be checking.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bob's Mechanical Repairs have a garage in Cheltenham?
No. Bob's workshop is in Birnam, Perthshire. This page is an independent guide for Cheltenham drivers. No Cheltenham garage is represented here unless a named, verified partner garage is listed on the page.
What is the difference between a Class 4, Class 5 and Class 7 MOT?
Class 4 covers cars and light vans up to 3,000kg (DVSA maximum £54.85). Class 5 covers minibuses and larger passenger vehicles with 13 or more seats. Class 7 covers commercial vans between 3,000kg and 3,500kg (DVSA maximum £58.60). Check the revenue weight on your V5C if you are unsure.
How much should MOT testing cost in Cheltenham?
Use the guide prices on this page as a starting point only. Prices vary between independents and main dealers, and the final figure depends on the vehicle and the garage you choose. Compare like-for-like written quotes and always get the price in writing first.
Can I still get advice from Bob?
Yes — Bob can give written advice on a fault, a warning light or a quote you have been given, wherever you are in the UK. What he cannot do is carry out the work in Cheltenham.
Are there other garage guides near Cheltenham?
Yes — this site publishes guides for other towns in Gloucestershire and across the UK. They follow the same format: typical prices, what to check, and how to choose a garage.
Garage owners in Cheltenham
How do independent garages in Cheltenham win work online?
Ranking in Cheltenham comes down to answering the questions drivers actually type before they book — cost, timescale, what's included. Chains do that at scale; most independents never get the chance. This guide does it for MOT testing, and one Cheltenham garage can apply to be the workshop named on it once the application has been reviewed.
How do I get my workshop onto the Cheltenham guide?
Yes — one garage per town. Apply through the garage partnership form and Bob reviews it personally. If approved and activated, your workshop name, contact details and website appear on this page, and eligible enquiries may be offered under the agreed partnership terms. No long contract, cancel any time.
What do partner garages in Cheltenham actually get?
Two things: the named listing on this page, and the software Bob's own garage runs on — job cards, MOT reminders, invoicing and customer records. Both start only once the application has been reviewed, approved and activated, and no volume of enquiries is promised before that.
Apply to list your Cheltenham garage