Help Im clueless, I smell antifreeze

I have recently bought a 93 chevy lumina z34. Sweet car, runs great. But it smells like hot anitfreeze, and the temp gauge is going stupid. Heats up when stopped. But when its driving down the road seems to run cooler then it should. Its not leaking anitfreeze that i can see, no puddle on the ground. But cooland light does come on when you first start it. I have been reading about luminas and think maybe its the manifold gasket, but I dont even know what that is.. Please help me.

I would say your intake gaskets have failed. The intake sits in the middle of the engine and is what feeds it air and fuel.

its your heater core. is the carpet wet, under the dash?? if so, theres no doubt.