Thanks man it is a great upgrade.

Very nice job and looks great.

Did you delete the ST platform? I was thinking you had the ST to start with. Maybe I'm getting confused with another poster of one like that.

I think the ST came out with the SR1's. My LS came with the teak platform that I replaced. Thank you for the compliment.

Brian

Ive seen a few 86's with the silent thunder swim platform mold on the back but no exhaust set up.

Were they the square windshield LS's or the rounded SR1's? I found out that 86 was the transition year I guess. Insurance company had the 86 as a SR1 option, the LS ending in 85. Have also seen other 86's that are rounded SR1's.

Curious if any LS's ever came with the ST option.

Brian

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
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...Aug08_0014.jpg

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.

That is a good one. By 1987 all production had been moved to Decatur as far as I know. I'd like to see a picture of that boat,not that it would be obvious that there was a difference. WOW! Does it also have a fiberglass platform?

85 with rounded window?? How is that possible with old style deck?? Unless it has a newer deck somehow??

Look back thru this thread and you will see pics of it...I.C.U. Lookin. The plant on 144th & Biscayne built boats for the '89 model year as they were phasing out in late '88. By the close of '89 all production was in Decatur.

It has the deck and windshield of an '87 and later with the H/N of an '85. I think the entire deck and inner liner were different. I have made detailed comparisons of '86 and '87 hulls and can tell you they are from the same molds...so the difference is the deck. It could be that there was an over run of 85 hulls and this one received a '87 style deck.

In any case it's a unique boat and rare to be sure.

I have another one for you. My friend Diego just bought lil Reds's '89 272 SR-1 with twin 454's and Bravo's OEM from the factory with that power. I had often thought that the 272 SR-1 was the smallest boat Formula ever put twin Big Blocks in...that is until I got my 255 Liberator and started looking into the history of that model. From '76 thru '82 the 255 Liberator was available with twin 330 HP 454's with TRS drives. I also learned that it could be specially ordered with twin 420 HP 454's!!! According to a few old timers I have spoken with the twin 420 HP 255's would run close to 85 and would run 60 + with a half ton of "organics" on board...a smugglers dream:evilb:

[IMG]http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...eratorad-1.jpg[/IMG]

Check the bottom of this 1976 magazine ad....

"Available with motors up to twin 330 Horsepower"

Just a bit of trivia for all you "Bird Heads".

It had a fiberglass when I bought it. What sprink says makes sense best possible answer. If you want specific pictures let me know ill take and post them. The silent thunder platform looks to have been added later as there 2 different sets of exhaust outlets inside boat. Very strange for sure.

ICU
That is really wild! Huge amount of work had to have been done. With the two sets of exhaust holes it makes sense that the factory did it. Exhaust might have needed to be lower to get into the silent thunder platform. Cool story. Ever check with the factory for some History?

No I haven't. Have thought about it.

Just a typical weekend in NJ for us

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...74828744_n.jpg

Awesome!!! one of these days I should take a roadtrip

my 272
 

1989 272 sr1 w 500hp

Definately. More then welcome to join us for the 4th Birds on the Bay Rendezvous. A few have made the trip down for the NY area to join in our fun. The last was J.B. Marshall with his 382. He made it to the 2nd Birds on the Bay Rendezvous. The pic above was from the one we had this past summer.

We did an afternoon/overnighter down in AC back in June too.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...22404423_n.jpg

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...22120116_n.jpg

Dam that 26pc and those pics are sexy..... the guy whos boat that is and who took the pics must be too :lolhit:

Split let me when you plan to make that trip to AC next year I would like to join you guys and make a few days out of it in LBI as well. That is of course things are somewhat back to normal on the shore :(

JB

Knew that was coming...

My boats there, but it's being blocked by those damn sexy PC's.

JB, Barnegat Bay is in bad shape. Boats are missing out of marinas, ocean ripped inlets in the barrier islands washing homes into the bays.... it is going to be interesting how the bay cleanup will be handled. There has to be new channels and debris will have to be discovered then addressed.

Here's a pic of the Coast guard station at Farley State Marina and the transient slip area.

https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/...17380031_n.png

Going to take a quite a few years before everything its back to normal along the shore but rest assure it will get there.

The AC trip was setup by Castines (Gadgitized) from over on FormulaBoatsForum.com. I'm sure you'll hear if there is anything planned, but I'll make sure if anything is setup to pass the word along to my fellow OSO'ers.

As for the Birds on the Bay Rendezvous, the man to speak to about would be I.D.C.E. He's the brains & beauty behind that beast.

I feel for so many along the coast that have been greatly effected by Sandy and her devistation. We can only hope that the rebuilding for those that lost their homes and property will be as fast as possible.
I hope you guys are donig well.

JB

I found my proof!!!!!! Here is a link to the exact boat I saw with the silent thunder "style" platform with no provisions for the exhaust. If you look at the pictures, the exhaust still exits out the transom assemblies. I met this guy last year on lake Michigan super clean boat!!!!! one of the only 86 square windshield boats that I've seen with this installed from the factory...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Formu...item20cd9a86c6

Just saw this video on YouTube,thought I would share it Formula 89 Boats

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JhUd77CZpRM

Pretty cool video I wonder if you could still get a full copy from formula. The teal 292 is my favorite color combo!!!!!

Here is my 272 sr1 89 454's

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLq2pK_ATo
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g4zu62GfyGs

Recently buffed and detailed

Glad to be part of this thread now

No new pics in quite a while... thought I would get it going again. 2012 Buffalo Poker Run. Image courtesy of Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/...ps68b96d3f.jpg

Me neither, nice pic btw, here's my helo pic form the FMO New Year Day run, great day.
Thanks for the pic Jayboat

Here is a few of our 03 353...

It's only letting me do it one at a time.

One more