New to the website.
Have a chance to buy a '56 F100 in pretty good shape overall. Will need new floor pans and a few other things, but for the most part not a "bucket of rust." However the roof in rusted thru in places all along the drip edge. I imagine once a guy starts to clean it up, it will only get worse, but I do think the drip edge itself would be okay. It appears roofs are just about the only replacement panel I cannot purchase. Not a body man, so I have to ask: How hard would it be for somebody with experience to fix it? Is it possible? Is there some other roof that comes close enough. . . to use?

 

Many folks run into this problem with '56 roofs. Some folks opt for a donor cab. Mid fifty sells a fiberglass roof. I know nothing about them, quality, fitment, etc.
And last, welcome to the forum.

 

Years back a donor roof cut at the windshield posts was a the best fix for this issue. As I'm sure you know the rust you can see is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This is a fairly labor/time intensive problem to fix and this is coming from a lesson learned the hard way perspective.

 

With a rusty 56 roof, also check the underside of the "forehead" over the windshield and under the lower portion of the windshield weather strip especially at the corners.What makes it a somewhat complex to repair is that several panels come together at the rain gutter. A patch panel is available for the inside reinforcement panel, the exterior patch panel can be formed by bending a strip over a round object then making it into a compound curve with a shrinker. The corners will be best made as separate pieces using a shot bag and torpedo mallet and smoothing over an egg or ball shaped dolly.
If you have roof rust and floor rust, I bet you also have front and rear cab corner rust and likely rocker panel rust as well. Also poke the underside of the door bottoms with an ice pick or awl.