I used to assist with PDIs on new and used Ford cars ------ I remember at the time there was a problem with faulty cooling fan connector plugs on the newly released MK3 Escort (which in-house was known as Project Erika) and we just used to get the engine up to temp and wiggle the plug until the fan came on and leave it at that 

 

I can remember number plates being mixed up and fitted to the wrong cars.

 

In the case of MK1 Fiestas, the tailgate had to be drilled for self-tapping screws to hold the plate on and sometimes the plate would end up wonky or the holes drilled too big, so the screw wouldn't bite. They would just be left like that.

 

 

I chopped lots out of the above posting, but I seem to remember finding a "silly" roughly 4 inch extension lead on my bought new 1982 Escort 1.6 Ghia - so took it off (still got that lead!).  I think that the front disc callipers also took on that project name, probably first used on that car.

 

Drilling holes into steel - very bad, I think that it still goes on even although cars including Fords have correct mounting points!   I'd recon that the number plates on wife's new Polo are not where VAG thinks they should be. What is wrong with most/all garages in UK in as much as they can't get UK sized versions of the EU mainland standard number plate mounting brackets?  First thing I tend to go with new cars is to remove these nasty mild steel self tapers and fit stainless steel ones - saves getting that rusty trail down the number plates!

I chopped lots out of the above posting, but I seem to remember finding a "silly" roughly 4 inch extension lead on my bought new 1982 Escort 1.6 Ghia - so took it off (still got that lead!).  I think that the front disc callipers also took on that project name, probably first used on that car.

 

 

 

It wasn't me

 

Drilling holes into steel - very bad, I think that it still goes on even although cars including Fords have correct mounting points!   I'd recon that the number plates on wife's new Polo are not where VAG thinks they should be. What is wrong with most/all garages in UK in as much as they can't get UK sized versions of the EU mainland standard number plate mounting brackets?  First thing I tend to go with new cars is to remove these nasty mild steel self tapers and fit stainless steel ones - saves getting that rusty trail down the number plates!

 

 

Cortinas also needed the front steel bumper drilling for the plates. Don't know how it was ever thought acceptable.

 

Stainless steel screws a nice touch