I've seen a few square windshield 272s with the silent thunder swim platform mold on the back but no provisions for the exhaust. Actually a member on here I met a couple summers ago had the same boat as yours, but blue in color with the silent thunder style swim platform I am trying to find his screen name.

Another boat pic

I had a 1989 223ls that had thr ST exhaust

Not mine but I wanted to look at it when I was shopping, love the surface drives.

sweet love the backwards zig zag

She's a beauty. What do you have in it for power?

My buddies 87 ls had a teak platform and I think one I liked at was an 88 also with teak.

All square windshield F242 and F272 models were designated "LS" models even if they had twin engines (1986 and older). Round windshield F242, F272,F311 models were introduced as 1987 models only, although a few were built in 1986 (still 1987's -kinda like cars). After 1986 all twin engine sportboats were designated as SR-1's until the Fastechs. After 1986 all single engine sportboats were designated as LS except SS models. Therefore in 1987 the models were F-206-LS; F206-SP Spyder; F223-LS; F242-LS; F242-SR1 (yes with twins); F272-SR1; F311-SR1; and F357-SR1. Fiber glass swim platforms were only offered on ROUND windshield models. My guess is that someone either put a late model platform on the older "square windshield" models themselves or managed to talk their dealer into ordering a fiberglass platform for a carried over boat. The First round windshield boat was the F206 in 1985. Fiberglass platform was on it but it was not Silent Thunder. Exhaust on the 1985 and 1986 F206 came out through hull on top of the platform. Silent Thunder was not made available at all until 1987 but prior to that some "Round Windshield" SR-1 models didn't even have it available. That's why you see so many 1985 and 1986 F357's with no platform or a teak platform. Formula was still tinkering with the fiberglass platform designs well into 1986 for the larger boats. Round windshield boat introduction: 1985 - F206 and F357; 1986 - F311(very few); 1987 - F223, F242, F272, and F311(officially). The fiberglass platforms of any kind were always an extra option on SR-1 boats. They were standard on the LS models but Silent Thunder was an option on all sportboats 1987 and on. I have a NON-Silent Thunder fiberglass swim platform on My F311. At some point they made the Fiberglass platform standard on all sportboats but to my knowledge Silent Thunder was always a paid for option.

This all sounds spot on...obviously you have done your research. That being said..maybe you can solve a mystery. We have a member with a 1985 272 LS with a Curved Windshield
!! (I.C.U. Lookin). The last digits in his H/N are 85 and it is a TRN (Miami Plant) hull. I had a '86 272 LS with "Flat Glass" that was the last "Flat Glass" 272 built in Miami. Do you have any thoughts on this one?

My guess was that his hull was a dealer return or demo boat that had a defect in the deck...was sent back to the factory and refitted with the '87 and later style deck/curved windshield. This would be a good question for Scott Smith in Formula customer service. I have heard of units being returned to the plant for warranty re-work but nothing this extreme.