My go-to move is swear first, then buy the right part.

Always start with the simple stuff first, a loose screw beats a laser swap any day.

Ring rust is real but 8 months sounds off to me. Fogging oil helps, sure, but the bigger thing is condensation cycling in a garage that heats and cools all winter, and even a fogged motor can rust up if the car sits in a damp shed. Starting it every few months is actually worse than letting it sleep, since short runs make more water in the crankcase and exhaust than they burn off. So that old guy might have switched you to fogging, which is fine, but the every few months start habit is the part I'd drop.