Photo by Nathan Gray

Photo by Nathan Gray

Pat Carpenter of Anderson has used junk parts to make an old golf cart into the movie character “Mater” from Disney/Pixars’ “Cars” for his grandchildren to enjoy.

In a time where more people have become “green” friendly and more aware of recycling, Pat Carpenter has taken old mechanical parts that would be sitting in junkyards and garbage piles and built something to put a smile on his grandchildren’s faces.

Carpenter, of Anderson, is the perfect example of the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” At the request of two of his 6-year-old grandchildren, Carpenter took a 1988 EZ-GO golf cart and turned it into “Mater.” Mater, short for Tow Mater, is a character from the popular Disney/Pixar animated movie “Cars,” voiced by famed blue-collar comedian Larry the Cable Guy.

Using parts from his garage and the junkyard, Carpenter turned this ordinary golf cart into the tow truck character. “Mater” is complete with a tow hitch, a gearshift for forward and reverse, headlights, flashing hazard lights and even dual rear wheels.

“There is a place for old wheels in the world,” Carpenter said.

The spare parts come from a variety of old equipment, including an old school bus, a Volkswagen, a cotton duster, PVC pipe, a boat trailer and a Buick.

“People don’t realize what they are throwing away,” Carpenter said.

Remaking the golf cart took Carpenter a little more than two months while working on it in his spare time. To animate the golf cart, he had friend and painter Debbie Bell paint the face of “Mater” on the front of the cart. He has even paid attention to the tiny details of “Mater” and built it with a broken front head light.

Carpenter, 66, is retired after working for New Holland as zone manager for 32 years. New Holland is a manufacturer of farming and construction equipment. Carpenter said he always had a knack for mechanics and had an interest in restoring things. Growing up on a farm in Cherryville, N.C., he said that people had to learn to be mechanically inclined and know how to fix things. Retirement has given him the time to work on projects and have fun doing it.

“I was tired of being serious and thought it’s time to play a little bit,” Carpenter said.