Page 8 - 2018AugSept
P. 8
Dave Spradling
From Sunbeams to Sopwiths
By Shanon Weaver
ypically, if a car part you need is unavailable or discontinued,
you’re pretty much up the proverbial creek. However, if
The doesn’t have the part or can’t find it anywhere, Dave
Spradling of Richardson will do something fascinating. specs. He has an extensive knowledge of
He’ll make it. British automobile history as well. He says
Dave’s family settled in Hunt County, the most interesting British car he’s worked on
is the Jowett Jupiter, which won the Le Mans
TX back in 1867. He was born in Dumas, endurance race in 1950, and of which only 825
lived in Channing until he was 8, and were produced.
then moved to that same county where
his father and grandfather were born. He “Every day is different. It takes a lot of thought
still has a lot of family in the area, though and ingenuity, Dave says. “It keeps my mind
he’s sure there are some he’s never met. active, too.”
“When you get past first or second Eventually a British company they worked
cousins, it’s hard to keep up with ‘em,” with and made parts for had a customer with
Dave quips. a unique request about a part for an antique
The second oldest of four children (and aircraft.
the only one mechanically inclined,) “They asked if we could make a distributor
Dave maintained all the equipment for cap for the Liberty engine that was used by
the family’s 40-acre farm, which later the Allied Forces in WWI, and Kip said ‘Sure,
expanded to 200 acres. After High School, what does it look like?’”.
he received his Associate’s Degree in This lead them to catch the bug to build an
Pre-Engineering from Henderson County airplane themselves in 2005. As Dave recalls,
Junior College (now Trinity Valley “Over the years, Kip has acquired the original
College), then double majored in Math plans for the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter, which was
and Physics at East Texas State (now used in WWI by the British.”
A&M Commerce). Kip Aero soon branched off, selling full kits
He married his wife two days after for the Sopwith series of planes, including
graduation. the Sopwith Camel, of course, made famous
They moved to Richardson in 1972. After by Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy in his battles
holding several different positions with against the Red Baron. This year is the first
several different engineering companies they’ve completed an entire fuselage with
over the years, Dave decided to try wings, just in time for the EEA Airventure
something new, and went into sales for Oshkosh air show in Oshkosh, WI. They’ve
the next 8 years. It was during this time even built a period-correct hangar for it.
he met Kip Lankenau, who was one of “The whole plane is operated by cables, so I
his customers at a landscaping company. think it’s really impressive to be able to see
The two were both very interested in what makes it work,” Dave says. “Everything
antique cars, and decided to form a small nowadays is electrical.”
restoration business in Kip’s two-car
garage (which has since expanded into “My philosophy about work, which I kinda
a 10,000 square foot shop). Word spread picked up from my grandfather and great
about the great work they’d done keeping grandfather, they both said, ‘If you got a place
up Kip’s wife’s Metropolitan convertible, to go and something to do that you enjoy
and Kip Motor Company was soon the every day, you’ll live a long time.’ And they
go-to shop for service and restoration for both lived into their 90s,” Dave, who will be
unique and antique British automobiles. 76 in September, says. “I’d be bored to death
After 27 years, Dave proudly considers if I didn’t have a place to go and something
himself a “corporate dropout,” preferring to do.”
to work for himself. Dave echoes that sentiment when asked
“It’s kinda like having a hobby that you get paid for,” he notes. what advice he’d have for our readers. “Do
“I like doing things where at the end of the day I can say I’ve something you enjoy, and start young,” he
actually done something.” says. “Stay active.”
And yes, with an extensive library of original manuals, Dave Coming from a man in his mid-seventies who
is able to manufacture parts that may no longer exist, to period builds antique car and airplane parts, that’s
pretty solid advice.
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