exo-Methylene ketone 6 serves as a vehicle for elaboration of the C8 quaternary center en route to guanacastepene via a conjugate addition-alkylation sequence. Methylation of the cycloheptadienolate derived from 7 is highly selective for the desired relative stereochemistry, as determined by NMR and crystallographic analysis. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.