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> The Grasshopper LE is a myth
JeffBowlsby
post Feb 28 2006, 12:16 AM
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Late last year I submitted a request for information to Porsche Classics Archive Research regarding their published website statement concerning the existence and rarity of the white/green trim LE 914 cars. I simply asked them to confirm or deny the accuracy of their website statement. This process is a little known and great resource for certain kinds of information about your 914. It seems that other authors merely quoted this flawed source or similar sources about the grasshopper cars, which are now admittedly in error. Their statements were the most beliveable evidence available about the 'grasshopper' LEs, considering the source.

I received their response letter today. The Grasshopper never existed. Lies...it was all lies...we have all been deceived.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) I will be revising my 914 LE website to reflect this recent information and will include their letter:



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JeffBowlsby
post Mar 1 2006, 10:16 AM
Post #2


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I guess I need to interject a couple of thoughts here for clarity:

The PAG letter in the first post is interesting.

Point 1: I gave them the range of known 914 LE car VINS and they confirmed that no cars within that range were white with green trim. Someone here implied that ALL the cars in that VIN range were ‘confirmed’ to be LE cars and that isn’t right. I know that’s what their letter says but that is a misstatement and misunderstanding.

Point 2: Just because the VIN range I gave them did not contain any GH cars, doesn’t mean they didn’t exist, maybe they were just outside that VIN range? Maaayyyyybbbeeee, but its not likely.

Point 3: So PAG is given a VIN range and they look in their records for over 2000 cars and confirm their paint codes….THEY HAVE SPECIFIC RECORDS ON EACH OF OUR CARS! So even though their records may be incomplete or even wrong…they do have records. They COULD tell us exactly how many were produced but they don’t want to. They could give us a complete VIN number list with each LE car too.

Point 4: They have admitted that their website info was wrong re: the white/green trim cars. So they are not careful when they assemble their information and continuing to profligate incorrect information is ….is….well at least they admitted their error and will take steps to correct it.

Point 5: The Porsche Marketing Letter, a few books, and other sources indicate the white/green combo, and while that seems fairly believable on the surface…its obvious they are just regurgitating information found elsewhere or otherwise given to them, without verification.

Point 6: No doubt several of the respected people here and elsewhere have truly ‘seen’ a GH car. Hey there is one in my driveway, even. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Not because any one person has seen it, but so many people from different parts of the USA. At best we can be assured that while there is no current proof they were built, there is also not definitive proof that they were not, but so far we have turned over all the rocks and asked a lot of questions and we are coming up dry.

For my own sanity and for the purposes of my 914 LE website, I need to simply state the known facts as they are. PAG says they were never built (at least within a certain VIN range). We have no specific vehicle, no COA, not a single part with original green paint, no official publication or any other proof, just hearsay and vague memories. The only ‘original’ green stripes we have were produced aftermarket by VOA. The fact that there were the correct front spoilers and green stripes available from the dealers means it would be simple for a dealer to install them and voila – instant GH. I am sure we will continue the hunt, but hope is fading.
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Jeff Bowlsby   The Grasshopper LE is a myth   Feb 28 2006, 12:16 AM
maddeye   http://www.914world.com/bbs2/h...   Feb 28 2006, 12:26 AM
Part Pricer   The day the grasshopper died. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/...   Feb 28 2006, 12:42 AM
gregrobbins   As many of us suspected. ht...   Feb 28 2006, 12:45 AM
MattR   I have 3 grasshoppers in my driveway. Porsche jus...   Feb 28 2006, 01:01 AM
bondo   It's a coverup! They're rewriting hist...   Feb 28 2006, 01:13 AM
dinomium   Britt and Alpha DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER It is lik...   Feb 28 2006, 01:30 AM
ejm   <...   Feb 28 2006, 05:47 AM
type47   ...   Feb 28 2006, 06:16 AM
bd1308   ...   Feb 28 2006, 06:25 AM
balljoint   http://www.914world.com/bbs2/htm...   Feb 28 2006, 06:46 AM
smg914   Thanks for taking the time to do the research to p...   Feb 28 2006, 08:21 AM
kwales   Not me, I don't believe it.... that answer is...   Feb 28 2006, 08:42 AM
Headrage   So Jeff, were ya gonna get yer paint done?   Feb 28 2006, 09:29 AM
Dave_Darling   I don't think I can come to the same conclusio...   Feb 28 2006, 09:29 AM
Demick   Nice work Jeff! Very cool that you have been ...   Feb 28 2006, 09:32 AM
maf914   Yesterday evening there was a show on Discovery ch...   Feb 28 2006, 09:37 AM
Thomas J Bliznik   Bowlsby Thanks for getting the factory story. I ...   Feb 28 2006, 10:15 AM
Thomas J Bliznik   I feel sad today http://www.914worl...   Feb 28 2006, 10:37 AM
Porsche Rescue   I'm with Dave (kinda). Somehow, I think I saw ...   Feb 28 2006, 10:56 AM
Gustl   keep that mystery alive http:...   Feb 28 2006, 11:11 AM
9146986   I had one green Mahle wheel once. I don't kno...   Feb 28 2006, 12:05 PM
dinomium     Feb 28 2006, 12:06 PM
SirAndy   <...   Feb 28 2006, 12:35 PM
SirAndy     Feb 28 2006, 12:53 PM
fiid   Bummer. I kind of liked it when it was just an un...   Feb 28 2006, 01:17 PM
Bleyseng   I had that damn 3 car LE pic as my computer backgr...   Feb 28 2006, 02:44 PM
SirAndy   ...   Feb 28 2006, 02:48 PM
Mueller   any chance that a dealership made the Grasshoppers...   Feb 28 2006, 03:28 PM
Bleyseng   It looked like it was a magazine ad but I download...   Feb 28 2006, 03:33 PM
Gustl   <...   Feb 28 2006, 03:38 PM
bondo   Tee hee.   Feb 28 2006, 03:48 PM
alpha434   Well. Thats it. A grasshopper. Maybe we should ...   Feb 28 2006, 03:55 PM
skline   I dont know if I have much credibility anymore, bu...   Feb 28 2006, 04:07 PM
Mueller     Feb 28 2006, 04:13 PM
Bleyseng   Look at the LE, the decals on the 914 on the right...   Feb 28 2006, 04:14 PM
alpha434   Maybe it's like the Can Am 914s? Porsche said...   Feb 28 2006, 04:21 PM
tdgray   Grasshopper related. A grasshopper hops into a b...   Feb 28 2006, 04:21 PM
dinomium     Feb 28 2006, 04:40 PM
SirAndy   ...   Feb 28 2006, 04:45 PM
Bleyseng   damn, some of the guys here are as confused as the...   Feb 28 2006, 04:52 PM
Jeff Bowlsby     Feb 28 2006, 05:17 PM
BEE DRIVEN   Porsche Design would of painted one or two Grassho...   Feb 28 2006, 06:09 PM
anderssj   Thought I saw two: one at the dealership in Phoen...   Feb 28 2006, 07:34 PM
Bleyseng   The one is Seattle was probably my friends GF...   Feb 28 2006, 07:57 PM
GWN7   Miles also reported seeing one in the Atlanta area...   Feb 28 2006, 08:17 PM
Bleyseng   Miles said he had one and painted it blue cuz its ...   Feb 28 2006, 09:50 PM
SGB   where is that goat-boy?   Feb 28 2006, 10:07 PM
Loser_Cruiser   So is that Porsche Marketing Letter on Bowlsby...   Feb 28 2006, 10:29 PM
GWN7     Feb 28 2006, 10:40 PM
Gustl   <...   Feb 28 2006, 11:42 PM
Gustl   other   Feb 28 2006, 11:43 PM
Gustl   in Japan they were called SL (= sport limited)   Feb 28 2006, 11:44 PM
Gustl   and here one of the extra-rare european 914 GT   Feb 28 2006, 11:47 PM
gregrobbins   ...   Mar 1 2006, 12:58 AM
DNHunt   I think they exist in a parallel universe were cre...   Mar 1 2006, 07:56 AM
redshift   Yes, at least 2 cars, and likely 3, Atlanta. I hav...   Mar 1 2006, 08:37 AM
DNHunt   Miles Could Atlanta be a hot spot kind of like cr...   Mar 1 2006, 09:20 AM
seanery   The cars do enter the country near there now, wher...   Mar 1 2006, 09:33 AM
redshift   I think all our cars came through JAX. Scripts we...   Mar 1 2006, 10:13 AM
bondo   I thought the paint codes on LEs only listed the "...   Mar 1 2006, 10:26 AM
Jeff Bowlsby   By paint code, I meant the U1V9 and U2V9 designati...   Mar 1 2006, 10:36 AM
gregrobbins     Mar 1 2006, 10:37 AM
jflash914   Jeff, I have owned my 1970 since 1973. In the mid...   Mar 1 2006, 11:33 AM
davep   We can ask Porsche again perhaps. Ask for all the ...   Mar 1 2006, 11:49 AM
SirAndy     Mar 1 2006, 01:33 PM
Bleyseng   Guess I'll have to break out my copy and read ...   Mar 1 2006, 01:36 PM
Thomas J Bliznik   Jeff Thanks for keeping hope alive. Tom   Mar 4 2006, 10:37 AM


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