QuestionI recently bought a 1966 dodge coronet 440, but its a 318 wide block (poly engine) my question is should i put premium gas or regular into it?
AnswerThis is not a question anyone else can answer for you - the engine will tell you by pinging if you use too low an octane.
First, verify that the point dwell and timing is approximately set to factory specifications, then drive the car, listening for noises using regular gas. The most critical driving situation is when you are driving with a fully warmed up engine, at about 30 MPH in high gear, and begin to accelerate moderately. If, by playing with the accelerator and listening, you can just barely induce mild "pinging", you have the right gas and the right timing settings. If you cannot induce any pinging at all, you are using better gas than you need, or the timing is not set to the optimum point for economy and performance.
The reason you cannot just use the factory recommended settings and gasoline is that many things have changed since 1966 - gasoline and the condition of your engine, especially.
The "440" designation was a cute trick Dodge played on the world - it didn't mean that the car has a 440 engine, they used that number as a model name - signifying nothing that I am aware of. Fooled a lot of people with that one!
Dick
