The sodium acetate-buffered peracetic acid oxidation of various 1-methoxybicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-enones (4a-f), and (14), prepared by hydrolysis of the adducts (3) [(13)] derived from dihydroanisole derivatives (2) [(12)] and 2-chloroacrylonitrile leads to 4-substituted cyclohex-2-en-1-one 4-acetic acid derivatives (7) [(15)].