2001 Ford Mustang strong antifreeze smell inside

2001 ford mustang 4.6L. heater works fine. engine temp is good. smell strong antifreeze inside especially if you rev up rpms. no antifreeze in oil. no power lost. leak seems to be running down the header. no moisture on passenger side floor board. leaks on passenger side on the ground. is this probably heater core? is it possibly to connect the two heater hoses to bypass heater core? if so, will i lose heat and defrost? thanks for your help! Jon