This Virtual Dashboard Installed in the 1991 Acura NSX Is DIY Craftsmanship

A Samsung Galaxy tablet is being retrofitted in the NSX to create a digital display using the RealDash app, and with the help of additional hardware, including an OBD adapter, everything should be running just right when the project is complete.

As user nsxmugen explains on NSXPrime forums here, all indicators, including the engine light, blinkers, doors, and seatbelt warnings are supposed to be working normally on this digital display.

“It's work in progress, still need to decipher the pin outs on the cluster to get safety indicators working but PDSX-1 box does analog to digital and will send PID's to RealDash over bluetooth,” nsxmugen explains in the post.

Given the whole thing is powered by the RealDash app, the digital dashboard is technically fully customizable, so you can change the graphics, colors, font size, and pretty much everything else just the way you like.

Now, don’t imagine that doing this is easy business, and nsxmugen explains additional applications are required to make sure the tablet works properly and play the role of a digital dashboard.

“I'm also using macrodroid app with two macros. When I start the car and the tablet notice charge in USB, the macro unlocks tablet and opens realdash, so I don't need to wake up table it does automatically. When I turn car off the second macro notices usb charge out and it kills realdash app and powers off tablet,” he says.

At this point, the whole thing is still a work in progress, but there’s no doubt it’s one of the projects to keep an eye on. It goes without saying that some things are harder than others, such as getting all indicators to work correctly, so we’ll be back with more updates as more progress is being made on this DIY digital dashboard.