Phoenix Automotive Services

Phoenix Automotive Services Phoenix Automotive Services is predominately an Automotive Machining and Engineering Business, building and reconditioning various types of engine.
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Phoenix Automotive Services is formerly known as Morice Engineering. Owner Ben has a unique set of skills that he's acquired over the last 15 years as both a qualified Mechanic & HQ racer. Ben's been building & improving both racing & standard engines of many types. All engine building, cylinder head reconditioning and modification services available. Race engine programs to suit every budget. Top quality work with a well know reputation for excellent horsepower and class leading reliability.

302W assembly and first start
27/02/2026

302W assembly and first start

Valiant Hemi 245 in for a checkup
27/02/2026

Valiant Hemi 245 in for a checkup

The 186 for the FX was fired up today
15/11/2025

The 186 for the FX was fired up today

48-215 (FX) Holden in for a cam change And then the snowball effect takes hold…
08/11/2025

48-215 (FX) Holden in for a cam change
And then the snowball effect takes hold…

School holiday project for JackScored a couple of old 202’s - one was 80 thou over so I figured Jack could join me for a...
06/10/2025

School holiday project for Jack
Scored a couple of old 202’s - one was 80 thou over so I figured Jack could join me for a day in the workshop to pull his first engine apart. Looking at it, I was sure it was gonna be seized!

The more we got it apart, the better it seemed - my guess is it had done very little work since being reconditoned - so we decided to re-ring it and prep it ready for sale for a street car.
ACL bearings throughout, new 214/214@050 .442” lift cam, Permaseal gaskets, all new welch plugs etc.

Super proud of my 11yo and I could tell he was proud of himself too!

If this engine interests anyone, please get in touch - we intend on running it in on the run stand to bed the cam and lifters - we can fit whatever sump and pickup is required and I will have to do a cylinder head at some stage also.

202 build for Matt’s HG ute Goal was to have something different under the bonnet, so a single 45DCOE Weber intake was c...
12/04/2023

202 build for Matt’s HG ute
Goal was to have something different under the bonnet, so a single 45DCOE Weber intake was chosen, I have done plenty of little tricks to improve power and especially torque - we are keeping the stock converter in the trimatic.
I think it will be a bit of a surprise package for what it is…

Who remembers these?Original Holden head gaskets for 308Tin shim approx .015” thickFound these in my shed - at one stage...
12/04/2023

Who remembers these?
Original Holden head gaskets for 308
Tin shim approx .015” thick
Found these in my shed - at one stage I used them sandwiched in between a composite head gasket either side to decompress an old methanol engine
Did many miles with it, no leaks or any other dramas
I have kept these as all of the embossing is still intact
I bought these from Lockhart holden in 2002 - it’s no longer there

Here’s one I tuned a few weeks back that I forgot to put up302 Windsor with Cleveland heads - a Boss motorRunning terrib...
04/04/2023

Here’s one I tuned a few weeks back that I forgot to put up
302 Windsor with Cleveland heads - a Boss motor

Running terribly
Mechanical shop contacted me asking for a recommendation for a new carburettor
I advised having a look first to check the rest of it out, prior to outlaying another great expense…

In my mind, for a street cruiser the combo was not great.
Nobody knows the engine specs but from a quick check I could tell it had a decent size solid cam, 750DP, single plane intake and electronic ignition.
It wouldn’t idle initially, the shop had wound idle speed up to 2000 just so it could drive. Turned out the rear mixture screws were bottomed out and the fronts set too lean.
I pulled the carby and gave it a quick check/clean and put it back on.

The distributor was one of those aftermarket Bosch copies. These are notorious for having bad curves. This one was set somewhere around 20deg initial and wound out to about 60deg total - needless to say it pinged it’s guts out at WOT.
I removed it and had a play with the advance curve to shorten it up, allowing more initial timing with less total. It must be fairly low compression as we ended up happy at 32deg at idle and 44deg at 3000rpm.
I also hooked up the vacuum advance to help with the driveability that this cam and compression combo produce. Ended up with just 6” idle vacuum.

These few changes transformed the vehicle. It drives very well, will now pull away smoothly with WOT in 4th from just 1200rpm now, no evidence of pinging, no surging - however in my opinion a dual plane manifold would improve the driveability even more so.

The workshop just informed me that the customer is most happy, it’s never driven so well - this is what reminded me to post this up!

Sunbird with starfireYes, some still exist 😂Barry from Lismore (pictured) took on the car that his dad had bought new. I...
03/04/2023

Sunbird with starfire
Yes, some still exist 😂

Barry from Lismore (pictured) took on the car that his dad had bought new. It had some issues that his mechanic Ian was helping sort out. Mainly, no power to get up hills.

The varajet was worn out so I found them a Cortina/Escort Weber, rekitted it and added the correct throttle linkage. Ian fitted that up but it was still no good.

Ian bought the distributor to me and it was seized solid in the mechanical advance department. Got that sorted out. Along with the cam thrust plate being broken and the about-to-fail fibre gear - pressed a new plate and a good used alloy gear onto the old cam.
Still no good.

So they bought it up to me and I soon found it was idling in the main circuit. Could not get it to run in the idle circuit at all. Removed the idle jet and found a blockage - despite having a new filter there was a little metallic “glitter” in the bottom of the float bowl.
Sorted that and it was sweet as can be!
Road tested it - pulled as well as could be expected for a 1.9 litre “tractor engine”

Happy days. Saved from a V8 transplant for a few more years 😂

Carby I rekitted last weekHadn’t seen one before - Rochester 4 Jet (4GC) from a 327 Chev, forerunner to the Quadrajet
21/03/2023

Carby I rekitted last week
Hadn’t seen one before - Rochester 4 Jet (4GC) from a 327 Chev, forerunner to the Quadrajet

XW Ute playing up - suspected carby issueThis old girl arrived on a tilt tray, Ken the owner was having dramas with it o...
16/02/2023

XW Ute playing up - suspected carby issue

This old girl arrived on a tilt tray, Ken the owner was having dramas with it once it warmed up. Several other shops have all had a crack. Shouldn’t have been too hard - it’s a stock pre-crossflow 6…

First I fired it up to move it - crash boom bang 😮 turned it straight off and popped the bonnet - the radiator centre support strap was wrapped around the fan!
Sorted that temporarily and found the radiator was loose which was why that had happened…

Anyway I checked the stock stromberg carb, the float level was a touch low but otherwise clean inside and appeared to have been kitted not too long ago.
About to go on a road test and thought I stalled it - restarted and it was running terribly, backfiring through the carb etc.

I saw it had an eBay electronic distributor so thought I had better check voltage at the coil + and we only had 7 volts - adding a jump wire from the alternator immediately fixed the issue so low voltage was the culprit.
Wired in a relay, and added a diode to the alternator wire when that made the vehicle not switch off.

Mounted the radiator to make it secure, couple of road tests and job done😉

245 hemi cylinder head, quality rebuild and modification by my Gold Coast engine machine shop "Phoenix Automotive Servic...
27/11/2022

245 hemi cylinder head, quality rebuild and modification by my Gold Coast engine machine shop "Phoenix Automotive Services"

*Acid dipped, molasses dipped to remove rust from water jackets, crack tested
*New K-Line bronze guide liners fitted and sized to brand new 1.97" & 1.6" 265 valves
*Hard seats fitted for unleaded or LPG fuel use
*Valve guides modified for extra lift and to suit press on stem seals
*Performance multi-angle valve job, chambers deshrouded to Permaseal head gasket
*Extensive port work - gasket matched to Permaseal manifold gasket
*Surface ground to 73cc, gives approx 10:1 with the average 265 build
*Manifold face machined
*Fitted with double springs providing 130 # seat pressure and suitable for .550" lift (can remove inners if fitting to a block with a new cam that needs bedding in)
*Painted Chrysler red

$3,000 outright sale including Permaseal VRS gasket kit

Any questions, feel free to ask…

Address

1/11-13 Ryecroft Street
Gold Coast, QLD
4211

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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