I've watched this posting with much amusement. We see them all the time here. It has though raised some interesting questions especially on the actions of some of the site team as Mike has pointed out in relation to posts being removed/edited etc. I have in mind a particular post in relation to a DPF issue when it was pointed out that he/she would lose was totally removed after the OP did in fact lose big time.
Now in this case, removing all the noise surrounding it, it comes down to an interpretation of the law and the definition of what is unroadworthy and what is not. SOGA clearly states that the car should be roadworthy but it also states that it should be commensurate with age and mileage and it should be expected that an older cheaper car will not be perfect.
Now the question is how do you determine this?
The car had a valid MOT and the advisories from the last MOT were made known to the buyer. The car was checked by an independent person as well.
On examination by another garage they pointed out faults which are not what I would consider as serious as individual items in their own right as are items showing wear commensurate with the age mileage and price. The only one I would say is a no no is the drop link not secured. Bring all of these together and you have a car that will not indeed handle well. However the statement drives well is open to interpretation. The problem is the MOT. At the time of test, the testers interpretation of what he/she saw at the time was that in their opinion it would need changing before the next MOT. The seller is not obliged to do this work prior to sale as he has an official statement that the car will last until the next MOT safely. The seller's responsibility is to ensure it complies in terms of tyre tread etc which he has done.
I cannot see that dealer has done anything wrong here other than comply and the OP is trying to take the **** thinking she gets a brand new car for £800 and even has the audacity to try and claim for the fuel she has put in and the routine maintenance required to get a cheap car to the required standard.
As Scania has pointed out.....if you don't know ...get an expert to check.
Overall, for a few quid spent on what is routine maintenance, which is commensurate with the price paid and age plus mileage, despite the battle scars, she might actually have a good car.