Getting married might be called a “ring job”!
Seriously, a ring job on an engine means putting new (larger)rings on the pistons and remachining the cyinder walls for a better fit. Some major ring jobs involve new pistons as well.
A good shop can do a great job. Our original car when I was a kid, a 1941 Chevy 6, had its rings and valves done by a local mechanic. The engine outlasted the rest of the car, and my brother-in-law bought the engine to power a welding machine which he ran for another 30 years!
So, there are ring jobs and ring jobs; the good ones will basically give you new car performance, if that’s all the engine needs.
Sorry to hear you grandpa had bad luck with his. One thing, NEVER try to cut cost on internal engine work!
P.S. The great ring and valve job done on our 1941 Chevy 6 was done in the car with only the head and pan removed. The garage was a small town operation and both a Chrysler and International Harvester farm equipment dealer.