KRISTIN OF BLACK CAT TATTOO AFTERCARE
RIDES OLD SCHOOL STYLE

by Stan Sturgis
From the June 2005 issue of Prick Magazine.



Kristin Gunn of Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare products based out of Austin, Texas is the proud owner of these fine phat rides. Her husband and gearhead auto restoration partner is Chris Gunn, a tattoo artist and owner of Southside Tattoo. The shop is located right next to the legendary Continental Club, an Austin staple since 1958.

Kristin and Chris' 1947 Ford truck is way cool and is "super fast," according to Kristin. The truck has a custom red tuck and roll interior, a Cadillac steering column and red tinted windows. "It just looks evil. Our shop is at 1313 S. Congress Ave., so we were able to get the 1313 on the license plate. Some people think we worship Satan or something," she says.

They found this truck at a car show and ended up driving all the way out to Bandera, Texas to buy it the following weekend. "It was painted an awful maroon color and the guy had lettering down the side that said 'flamin' forties.' It was hideous," says Kristin. "We saw the beauty underneath and fixed it up right." Incidentally, this is the ride Kristin loads all of her Black Cat goodies in to travel to tattoo conventions. It's a reliable truck and fun to drive.




Kristin's favorite car, and a fairly recent purchase, is a 1953 Chevy with the original blue flame engine. "It runs like a dream, and starts up better than some late model cars," she says. This car was another aesthetically challenged car when she bought it in February of this year. "The owner had it for over 15 years and in an effort to beautify it and sell it, he painted it with some butt ugly army green house paint. The whole car looked like crap with runs and drips in that putrid color," she recalls.

Since February, Kristin has primered it a sort of purpley-grey, installed 3 inch lowering blocks and heated the springs to lower it even more. She found and installed some fender skirts, shaved the door handles and repaired the lights and installed new lenses everywhere. The engine is in great shape, with the exception of the flywheel missing a few teeth.

"It's always fun when the car doesn't start up. I pop the hood, get out, and turn the flywheel and belt a little. It makes people think I know my shit, but really I don't. But it does start the car," Kristin explains. She had her friends at Cryptic Customs apply heavy metal flake on the front grill and headlight rings. "I had to have some bling on the car for a car show, and that was all that time allowed for! The next step for this car is to totally 'girl hot rod' it out, paint it pale pink with a white top and white furry interior."

None of Kristin's cars have door handles so you can't really steal the stuff inside unless you know how to open the door, but if you want to buy any of her tattoo aftercare products – www.tattooaftercare.net is how to do it.


1947 Ford Truck.


1953 Chevy.




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