FULL carbon fiber vs "real" carbon fiber

A majority of manufacturers and distributors will advertise their products as "real" carbon fiber, and while this isn't a lie, it is deceiving. What they are saying is that their part has a layer of real carbon fiber in it, which is true. What they aren't telling you as clearly is that there are several other materials added in with that layer of carbon. Typically these parts will have a thick surface layer of gel coat to give it some depth to the look, under the thin carbon layer is a thick layer of loosely packed fiberglass and an unnecessary amount of cheap resin to add stiffness to the thin carbon, the parts also contain a skeleton structure almost always made of 100% fiberglass and gel coat. Now this doesn't necessarily mean these are "bad" parts, but they are what they are, cheaply made cosmetic versions of FULL carbon parts. Full carbon parts however, are exactly what they sound like, a part made entirely of carbon fiber from the skin to the skeleton and usually made with techniques and materials that maximize its strength to weight ratio. This is what true performance and race cars use, not cosmetic parts. Don't get caught up in the arguments over which part is better based on a brand name and who's part last the longest without yellowing, look at what they ACTUALLY put INTO the part if you care about the parts performance and not just saving a few bucks. after all, spending a little more on a good part that will last is usually more cost effective than replacing a cheap part that didn't.