I had a brand new radiator installed, little over a year old, water pump, timing belt, valve cover gaskets we're replaced just a little over a year ago. I wasn't exactly paying attention to having a coolant leak, my dash light is out too so if I were driving at night I wouldn't have seen the temp gauge. But anyway, the scary part. The antifreeze got so low I heard the heater core boiling when I parked my car a few days ago. Oh s****. So I filled the sucker up with water because Im broke af and had appointments to go to. It leaked, out of the radiator, and some area above the oil pan. I was about to investigate but my jack was missing, so while I waited for a loaner, I just filled up with water. Suddenly the leak stopped. I've driven it 16 miles probably longest since, and no leak. Wtf? I can't pinpoint where it was coming from now.
Tldr:
Antifreeze leaked out
Heat still works
Put water in, appeared to be leaking from all around the radiator seals, constant steady drip from the bottom, as well as a steady drip around the oil pan area
Leak suddenly stopped and now I can't find out where it's at
I'm lost here. I theorize maybe the overheating causes seals to warp and give way, and once I put water in they heated back up and "re sealed", regardless I'm aware they are still shot, but I'm not sure what to do.

 

Hoses could be distorting when it turned to steam in the engine, and you adding in water stopped the steam effect. Sounds like you should change all the hoses. Besides upper and lower, make sure to check hoses to and from transmission (if you have that) and heater core hoses. As you said, it will leak again.

 

Verify you have no air in the system.
Crack open the bleeder valve on hte thermostat housing. Turn your heat to full hot.
Make sure it's a steady stream of coolant that comes out, no breaks or bubbles, or farting.
When solid, close it. Refill radiator and refill reservoir.

Go for a drive.
If no leak, it may have just been a fluke.
Coolant can leak from a faulty O-ring on the backside of the water pump where the coolant tube inserts. That is also one of the spots from where the heater core is fed coolant.

Anything else strange happen when the coolant randomly began leaking?