This is the danger of the second hand car market. Unfortunately, it's impossible to check every aspect of a car when you are viewing it. So sometimes you end up taking someones word that certain things have been done.
However, the fact that things have been covered up are slightly worrying. The thick oil used to hide the sound of the bottom end is a bit of a biggy for me, as are the brakes. If you were lied to about certain aspects of the car, then that is out of order.
As you have said in the other post, phoning up the person you bought it off won't achieve much. It's just rather disappointing that you have had to find things out the hard way.
