On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:59 AM, Mike S <mikes@flatsurface.com> wrote:
> Feel free to point to ANY (non-3rd world) government which allows HID
> conversions. They're all obviously under the influence of the OEM
> headlamp cartel.

Well I take it that Finland and Sweden are 3rd world countries, eh ? ;)

http://www.xenonvalot.com/xenonsys_fi.html

At least they have been selling these here for a while now. It says on the page:

"BMW E36 Hella Celis Ring ajovalosarja (E-hyv�ksytty)
Vihdoin XENONIT E36:een!
Sarja on t�ysin EU-m��r�ysten mukainen. Sarja on asennettuna t�ysin
laillinen ja auton voi vuosikatsastaa normaalisti."

"BMW E36 Hella Celis Ring light set (E-approved)
Finally XENONS to E36!
Set is fully compliant to EU regulations. Set is fully legal when
installed and car can be inspected normally"

inspected normally = no need for additional change inspections like
when You change way bigger tires or install a turbo.

All it needs to have is that E-approval and height adjustments for
newer vehicles.

You see, we are not under the influence of the OEM headlamp cartel.
But we are under OEM muffler cartel: if You have a vehicle that is
newer than 1996 You cannot put just any muffler in Your car. Noise
does not matter. Neither does longevity. Muffler just has to be
E-approved for those vehicles. You can have totally empty muffler but
if it does not leak and has E-approval You are clear to go. Luckily
they stopped producing vanagons long before that, so everyone here can
make their own if they wish ;)