Car guy goes from private to county shop

Dave Knaff doesn't remember many times in his life when he wasn't tinkering around with autos in some fashion or another.

Today, he does a bit more than just tinker in his job running the one-man auto body repair shop at the Flathead County Road and Bridge Department.

The Kalispell resident has worked for the county for about eight months, but his auto body work resume is long.

He owned Reflections Auto Body in Kalispell for 19 years. Last year he closed the doors to his business.

"Everybody talks about the economy, but it was true for us," Knaff said. Business slowed to a level he simply couldn't keep the shop open any longer.

"The downturn really hurt us and I don't think it's over yet," he said.

Knaff works on all county vehicles for every department. One day he may paint a water truck used by road and bridge department employees and the next day he may install the light bars on a new car for the Sheriff's Office.

He has painted dump trucks and a portable compressor, has installed radios in gravel trucks and pulled dashboards from sheriff's cars and installed new ones with all the needed equipment. He paints sheriff's vehicles frequently with their various striping and logos.

He also has replaced bumpers, windshields and every part between.

Recently Knaff got to paint items that are far outside his normal routine - doors for three walk-in safes at the Flathead County Courthouse.

The 123-year-old doors were removed as part of the ongoing courthouse renovation and taken to the county shop for painting.

Knaff used airbrush equipment to paint the doors a super-shiny solid black. After Knaff's work was finished, local artist Pete Sifuentes painted small, colorful designs on the doors, similar to the original decorative designs.

"We tried to be as true to the historical doors as we could," Knaff said. "We collaborated to be accurate. We want them to be durable and to last the next 100 years."

Knaff painted three large metal doors and six smaller side doors for each of the three safes that are remaining in use as storage rooms in the courthouse.

Moving the massive doors was no easy job. Each main doors weighs nearly 250 pounds and was moved around the shop with an overhead lift. The side doors weighed in at about 40 pounds apiece and were much easier to move, he said.

Knaff logged about 40 hours painting the doors.

"It's been kind of a privilege to me work on a project with so much history," he said. "My kids will know I was part of the courthouse project."

Knaff is a Great Falls native and split his time living in Great Falls and at his grandparents' farm in Geraldine while growing up.

During those summers at the farm, Knaff first developed his fondness for autos.

As a teenager his first was a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle, a sweet muscle car.

"But I ruined it" in a crash, he said.

He replaced it nearly immediately with another 1968 Chevelle.

He has stuck with Chevrolet models. His family shares his appreciation for Chevys, too, with the exception of his wife's dream car, a 1968 Ford Mustang fastback. They restoring that classic.

Knaff and his wife, Denise, have spread their car fever to their two daughters - Kayla, 20, and Katie, 14.

Denise and Kayla both drive Chevrolet Malibus, although Kayla would prefer to drive one of her dad's pickups. Knaff confesses that when Katie gets a driver's license, he may give in to the girls' love of pickups and give her the 1984 Chevy pickup with a blue crush velvet interior she has been eyeing for a few years.

"I'll probably let Katie win that draw," he said.

He has six Chevrolet pickups, which represent "every body style from 1936 to 2000."

One of those is a 1958 Chevrolet pickup that has been converted to a street rod and painted lavender.

"I call it Easter egg," Knaff said.

The Knaffs have a four-car garage at home, but - you do the math - obviously some are parked outside.

The pickups don't stay parked for long though. "I drive them, that's why I own them."

His goal had been to have a seventh pickup so he could drive a different vehicle every day. But when he showed up with another Chevy pickup recently, his wife drew the line and said since there wasn't enough room to park more autos at their home, he had to sell it.

Auto restoration and body work have seeped into his daughters' lives, too.

"Both of my daughters grew up doing this. They love it," Knaff said.

Restoring autos is more than just working in the shop for Knaff. He loves the hunt, too. He prefers to find original parts for his personal vehicles and spends lots of time searching for parts.

"I love to find an old part and make it like new. I'm constantly on the hunt," he said.

He used to participate in a lot of car shows, but "I ran out of time for those."

So he tries to attend a few shows and goes to the Dairy Queen for the Thursday night car gatherings when possible. "It's just the thing to do with your cars, go to the drive-in," Knaff said.

When he ran his private auto body shop, Knaff did a lot of custom work and became known for his flame designs.

He also has painted several "real fire" designs that incorporate multiple layers and colors. Real fire "is the new thing" in custom design, Knaff said.

While Knaff remembers always being interested in autos, he doesn't describe himself as a young artistic genius, by any means.

"I have some pretty mean stick figures that I drew in elementary school," he said with a chuckle.

He believes everyone has some level of artistic creativity, it's just exposed at different levels in different people.

For him, the creative process comes to light during the planning and design phases.

He has painted a lot of hot rods during the years and enjoys seeing them around the community.

Knaff says there are many "fine craftsmen" in the Kalispell auto community. He feels fortunate to have worked alongside Jerry Taylor, whom he describes as one of those fine Flathead Valley craftsmen. "I learned a lot from him and felt privileged to do so."

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.