Percolation? Heat soak? Don't drive during summer??

Yes I agree but if the heater core is hooked up and connected and the core is stopped up it will limit the flow thus causing overheating. That's why I said to bypass the core and test it out if he hasnt done so already. I had a s10 that had a leak in the radiator and like a dunbass I put stop leak in it and it did stop leaking but it gummed the core up and it started over heating. I bypassed the core and it stopped.
Somehow that makes no sense to me. Maybe on an Chevy S-10 the function is different. You do not need the heater core on an A-body to cool the engine. Plugged-up, disconnected, bypassed, working, leaking, or missing... it isn't meant to cool the engine.