I just bought my first 914 today. It is a 74 2.0. It is white with green trim. Could it be a grasshopper? Does anyone know if you can tell the original options and color by the vin? It is 4742907753. Click to view attachment

Can't decipher info from the VIN, you need to get a CoA

... from far, far away


to your question:
- there is no grasshopper, so ... no, it's not
- all known LE cars are in between 47429 14348 - 16454, so ... no, it's not
- for all details you might check Jeff's pages: http://bowlsby.net/914/CanAm/

You can tell the original color by looking at the four-digit paint code on the small placard in the front of the driver's door jam (ex: "L80E").

Thanks for the link. What a great site.

I'm one of the few who hasn't given up on the grasshopper yet, even after the factory stated that they never existed.

We all know how bad their record keeping was back in the day.

I'm with Sir Andy, I know that I have seen a Grasshopper in the past. It was in the late 70's or early 80's. It might have been a DEALER made but I know what I saw.

I think I will make mi ne into one. I got it running today and had so much fun driving around. I plan to tear into a complete restore this spring. A grasshopper would be a good look. Even it it wasn't how it came out of the factory.

Congrats! You're going to love it!

Jeff Bowlsby did a tribute car a few years back. I think it looked great!

I'm of the school that there is no such animal but that's no reason not to turn your teener into one. Cool color combo & not hard to do either. Congrats & enjoy the transformation...

Where is this car now? Is it owned by a forum member?
Click to view attachment

I want a Blue Demon!

The coolest of the LE's!

Sold to someone who turned out to be a dealer in New Brunswick...

I still say I saw one back in the day....I am not that forgetful...yet.
I use to play a game in 1970 when I would see a 914 to guess whether it was a 4 or 6.
I also rode around in one of the first 914's in Seattle as High School girl I knew had one since her dad owned the dealership.

And I saw it listed up here on AutoTrader a few years back. Not sure if it sold; the ad ran for months.

I know it's said they don't exist, but I remember seeing one in the U district when I was stationed in Seattle in 1977-8 (it may have been parked on the outdoor lot of the Porsche dealership north of 45th). Maybe it was a dealer special? I wish now that I had checked it out more closely . . . .

Wonder if the truth will ever come out.
Have my doubts that a grasshopper ever came from the factory, but other supposed myths have been shown to be true.
Look great anyway.

No 'grasshopper' 914 came from the factory. End of Myth, as certified by PCNA. Any white/green 914 (or any other color/negative stripe combination) anyone has seen or remembers was fabricated either by the dealership or by the purchaser/owner. Porsche even had a marketing campaign promoting the personalizing idea during the same time period the 914 LE cars were available, and the parts were available in the parts department.

Way to crap out a myth Jeff!

I have been dreaming of an Aubergine w/cream version.

Ah yes, the elusive Eggplantedition.

Yes, that was University Porsche/Audi back then and I test drove a couple of 914's there including a 1976 demo model I couldn't get the wife to go for a second car. Bought a 1976 Dasher SW instead which was a good car. Took it in to service there too so I was always looking at the new/used cars on the lot. I remember seeing a GH parked there too, but then there was a lot of nice Porsches there to look at. I grew up in the U district and at that time lived on Queen Anne Hill.

I have the eggplant edition. Hopefully, I'll have the restoration completed by the end of Summer but you know how projects go!

SDR

A Purple People Eater?

Then what is this?

Click to view attachment

See post # 21 for your answer.

I'm not buying that answer! Jeff knows his stuff but

Photoshop. And a bad one at that.


I've done this sort of thing for a living and this one is done so badly that it's really easy to spot.